Unrequited
by VBloodmoon4
Summary: After years have passed Feldt still deals with the pain of losing Lockon and her new feelings for Setsuna. During a period of rest, Sumeragi suggests that the meisters need to take a breather and relax. They end up going to Ireland with Lyle as he returns to visit his old home and his family members' graves. A bit of a love triangle between Feldt, Lyle, and Setsuna.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or any of its characters!**

**A/N: Hello all! I started watching 00 again a week ago and it's been several years! I never got a chance to watch season 2 which is what I'm in the process of doing now, and I think it's pretty insane how different Setsuna is in that season compared to season 1, he actually has a personality! I've been to Ireland twice, which inspired me to write a fic where the group goes to Ireland for a little bit during quiet times when they aren't involved in any missions. **

**In this story I'll be referring to Lyle by his first name since this story centers around Feldt. She calls him Lyle, so I'll be doing the same to make it less confusing. It can get a bit jumbled trying to figure out which Lockon is being discussed, this makes it a bit easier!**

**Ages:**

**Lyle: 29**

**Tieria: Doesn't age! What a lucky guy.**

**Allelujah: 24**

**Marie: 23**

**Feldt: 19**

**Setsuna: 21**

**_A/N: I would like to make apparent that this is a Lockon/Feldt/Setsuna fanfiction. All three characters are listed as the main characters therefore this is NOT a solely Setsuna/Feldt story. It seems many people are confused by this and it makes me sad when people write reviews telling me they wish it was ONLY Setsuna/Feldt. If you'd like to read just Setsuna/Feldt, then I would suggest you find another story because this one won't make you happy as she is also being paired with Lyle. Thank you!_**

The Ptolemy shot through the depths of the Atlantic Ocean during the late hours of the night. The area surrounding the ship was pitch black and the marine life fled as the machine cut through the water. Only a few of the crew on board were awake and wordlessly sat at their posts. Lasse steered the ship through the dark water while Feldt worked quietly at her station as she scrolled through the Gundam system performance reports on her computer. It was likely that Ian was working on the Gundams in the holding section of the Ptolemy while everyone else slept. Feldt let out a sigh as she stared out the front windows where nothing but darkness could be seen. Her thoughts drifted to Lockon and her heart twisted when his face appeared in her mind. She still wasn't over his death and thought about the sniper multiple times a day. His death along with Christina and Lichty's left Feldt extremely traumatized. There wasn't a day that went by where she didn't think of her fallen comrades and her heart ached to see them again.

It was true that Feldt had developed feelings for Lockon in their time together. His kind and gentle nature was something to admire. The programmer would also never forget when he had told her that his real name was Neil Dylandy and that he was from Ireland. That day she had shared with him some of her past and in exchange he told her about himself. Feldt felt embarrassed about having a crush on a man that was ten years older than her, and she wondered if the Gundam meister saw her as a little sister instead of as a woman. Feldt blushed at the thought, granted, back then she had still been a young girl so a relationship would have been quite inappropriate. The memory of Haro calling out for Lockon after his death rang out in her thoughts suddenly and she squeezed her fists tightly in her lap.

Feldt glanced over at Lasse who didn't seem to be paying any attention to her as a tear leaked down the side of her cheek. Things had become difficult since Neil's brother, Lyle, showed up to take his twin's place. It was startling how much Lyle looked like his brother and the pink haired girl struggled to call him 'Lockon'. In her mind she always referred to him by his given first name because he wasn't _her_ Lockon Stratos.

"Feldt, shouldn't you get some sleep?" Lasse called over his shoulder.

Feldt froze and quickly wiped her tears, "I'm okay."

Lasse chuckled, "You seem tense, you should be relaxed! You get to go on a bit of a vacation after all."

Feldt swallowed dryly, Lasse was right. There were no impending missions at the moment and Sumeragi had suggested that the team needed to take a breather from their strenuous jobs. At the meeting where she announced this, Lyle had stepped forward and mentioned returning to Ireland to visit his home as well as his parents' and sister's graves. Allelujah, Marie, and Tieria all stated they would remain on the ship while Setsuna had shrugged and said he could return to his apartment. At the thought of the group splitting up for a while, emptiness had filled Feldt until Lyle jokingly suggested that the group could come home with him and he'd take them all out for drinks at an Irish pub. Feldt remembered her jaw dropping in surprise as Allelujah glanced at Marie with a shrug and the couple agreed to take the Irishman up on his offer. In the end, all of the meisters agreed to go except for Setsuna who finally accepted the idea reluctantly. Feldt had remained quiet as her thoughts raced. She wasn't sure she wanted to do something like that since it would involve going to the country where Neil was from. If she was in his homeland there would be no way she would be able get him off of her mind. Sumeragi approached Feldt after the meisters left and told her that she needed to get off of the ship to rest and clear her mind. When Feldt refused, Sumeragi had leaned down to her, eye to eye, telling her it wasn't a suggestion, it was an order.

Feldt snapped back to reality with sleepy eyes and leaned back in her chair as Lasse continued to steer the Ptolemy. In a few short hours she'd be taking her first steps on Irish soil with Setsuna, Lyle, Tieria, Allelujah, and Marie.

….

It had been almost five years since Lockon's death and even though Feldt thought of him every day, there was someone who had caught her eye. He was a man of few words but Setsuna F. Seiei was powerful through actions. He was fearless which made him quite reckless on the battle field, but the passion that burned in his eyes when he was fighting for something he believed in was breathtaking. Both Setsuna and Feldt had a great respect for Neil Dylandy and it was obvious that they both missed the meister leader. When Feldt first met Setsuna he seemed cold and distant, but after years had passed, the young meister's personality had grown and he spoke more than he used to. The two had shared a moment when Feldt tried to express her feelings for him as she gave him a desert flower, but Setsuna's mind had been preoccupied with other thoughts. The unrequited feelings she held for him were painful because sometimes it was like he didn't acknowledge her existence, but she couldn't make them disappear. Feldt hoped that maybe this trip was exactly what they needed to get closer.

Feldt was also prepared to keep her distance from the second Lockon Stratos. Her first encounter with him ended up being terrible as he had tried to kiss her and invite her to his room for the night. She couldn't stand how much he looked like his brother yet he was so different. It was important to keep the sniper at a safe distance because Feldt knew all too well that it would be easy to get hurt by him. She was aware of the romantic relationship that Lyle had been in with Anew Returner, and her death had deeply hurt him. It was obvious that Lyle had deeply fallen for the girl and her death at Setsuna's hand was a traumatic one. Feldt could still detect tension between Lyle and Setsuna and it made her uncomfortable as she remembered how the sniper had beaten the black haired meister to a pulp.

It was early morning and Feldt stood with the group gripping her suitcase tightly. Sumeragi gave her a smile and waved as she followed the group out of the ship.

"I'll see all of you in a week," she told them.

"Let us know if anything goes wrong and we are needed," Tieria stated seriously.

"Ah, don't worry about it," Lasse waved him off, "We've got it all under control."

The group followed Lyle onto a dock that the Ptolemy had pulled up to. It was still dark outside and the ship behind them sank back down into the water soundlessly.

Lyle inhaled with a satisfied expression, "Home sweet home," he mumbled.

"What now?" Allelujah asked as he looked at Marie.

"Now I rent us a vehicle," Lyle shrugged, "I wasn't aware I'd be bringing a tour group with me."

"You're the one who offered for us to come," Tieria dryly said.

Lyle shook his head, "Ever heard of a joke?"

Feldt glanced at Setsuna who was staring at his fellow meisters with a blank expression. A cold breeze blew through the group and Marie shivered slightly. Allelujah instantly wrapped his arms around her and gave her a small smile.

"It's chilly, isn't it?" he asked her.

Marie nodded, "It is, and thank you," she patted him lightly on the top of his hand.

Feldt trembled from the cool Irish air as well and dropped her head. Her thoughts drifted to Lockon, Christina, and Lichty. She inhaled sharply and was glad it was still dark so the others couldn't see her eyes fill with tears.

"Let's get going," Lyle motioned with a small smile, "I've got a lot to do in seven days on top of taking all of you to sight see."

The group followed after him and Feldt remained behind at a distance. She took slow footsteps and looked up at the horizon where there was a small glow from the rising sun. The sound of the water in the harbor was soothing and the salty breeze blew through her pink hair. Feldt looked down at her shoes as she walked and instantly wished Christina was there with her. She wanted her friend to be next to her, jumping up and down in excitement about boys and shopping.

"Feldt Grace."

Feldt paused and looked up to see the group continuing on with the exception of the meister standing in front of her… Setsuna.

"If you keep lagging, you'll get left behind," he told her.

Feldt dropped her head, "I'm sorry, I was thinking about something."

Setsuna was silent and Feldt knew that he was aware of her difficulty with the loss of her friends and Lockon. He waited patiently for her to step forward and he fell in stride next to her as they trailed after the group.

…

A few hours later the group looked over a metal railing that prevented them from falling into the enormous harbor in front of them. In the distance there was a gap between the land where ocean was as far as the eye could see. They all waited patiently until a small van pulled up on the side of the road with a honk.

"He's back," Tieria stated as Lyle slammed the driver's door behind him.

"We're all set," Lyle said as he approached them.

"What are we going to be doing this entire time?" Allelujah asked, "Don't tell me we're going to be looking at water for seven days."

Lyle pulled a cigarette out of his jacket pocket and lit it quickly. Feldt's jaw dropped slightly as she watched him take a deep drag with a satisfied expression. She had no idea that he smoked and the pink haired girl glanced around. To be honest, she didn't know much about the other meisters other than how they handled situations on the battlefield.

"Do you think I'd do that to you guys?" Lyle questioned as he tapped the cigarette lightly with his finger and ash fell to the ground.

"I don't want to be out drinking every night, I know that's what the people here do," Tieria spoke.

"Maybe you should call Sumeragi and have her come pick you up then," Lyle shrugged, "We're going."

"Stay in the hotel Tieria, you don't have to come," Allelujah sighed and added, "I think a few drinks would do you good."

Tieria frowned and said nothing. Feldt looked to Marie who gave her a small smile of acknowledgment. The pink haired girl suddenly felt nervous. She had never had anything to drink before but had a fear of losing control. She knew that inebriated individuals usually behaved in ways that were embarrassing or reckless. Feldt was still standing next to Setsuna who was the closest in age to her out of all of the individuals in the group. Did he drink? Did he smoke? To be honest she had no idea because none of the meisters did those things publically on the Ptolemy. The only person open about their drinking on the ship was Sumeragi.

"Setsuna's actually old enough to have something now," Allelujah laughed, "I remember when he first joined and had to stick with milk and juice."

Small chuckles and laughs sounded and Setsuna narrowed his eyes slightly, "Shouldn't we be on our way?"

"Sure thing, _kid_," Lyle gave him a smile and motioned for the others to follow him to the vehicle.

Feldt instantly paused when the Irishman pulled the door open to the back of the van. There were two seats in the front, two seats in the middle, and three seats in the very back. Feldt gulped, this meant she had to pick someone to sit with. She looked over at Allelujah and Marie, knowing that they would sit together no matter what and Lyle would be at the wheel. That left Tieria and Setsuna. Feldt watched as Tieria wordlessly pulled open the passenger door and sat down in the front seat.

"Hurry up," Lyle called to them as he sat down behind the steering wheel.

Allelujah stepped into the van and turned, helping Marie step up behind him. The couple sat down in the back and buckled their seat belts. Feldt and Setsuna stood with an awkward distance between them and they stared at the two empty seats in the middle.

After moments that seemed to last an eternity passed by, Setsuna gave her a small nod, "You can go first."

Feldt felt a surge of adrenaline and her heart pounded, "Okay," she said as calmly as she could.

She stepped up into the van and buckled her seatbelt as Setsuna sat down next to her. She inhaled as Lyle started the engine and began driving. Feldt felt like she was in a haze. She was rigid in posture and she tried not to move anything except her eyes. She knew that Setsuna didn't like her like that, but she still couldn't help the feelings she had for him. Feldt let out a sigh, this was definitely going to be a trying trip.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: In this story I will be assuming that the Dylandy home was located just outside of Killarney, and that Lyle attended boarding school in Belfast, just for your information! I chose these locations because they are on polar opposite ends of Ireland, and I've been to both in my two trips! Lyle wanted to get away from his genius brother, so in this story, he got his wish to be as far away as possible. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or any of its characters!**

"It's raining," Feldt mumbled as she stared out her window where water droplets splattered against the side of the van.

"Yeah, it does that here a lot," Lyle said in response, "To be honest, sun is a bit of a rarity."

The van jerked suddenly and Feldt grabbed her seat in surprise. She leaned around the driver's seat in front of her with a frown.

"What the hell are you doing up there?" Allelujah asked with a startled voice.

"These roads are incredibly narrow," Tieria noted.

"No back seat drivers," Lyle told them with a chuckle, "These roads are meant for smaller vehicles, so if I don't get out of the way…" he trailed off.

Feldt's eyes grew wide as a large tour bus drove toward them taking up its lane and half of theirs. Her jaw dropped and she wanted to cry out until Lyle yanked the van onto the side of the road at the last possible second. Feldt's chest heaved and she turned around to see Allelujah and Marie sitting in stunned silence in the back. Setsuna's face revealed nothing of what he was thinking and Tieria shook his head as Lyle laughed.

"Where are we headed?" Marie asked and Feldt nodded, wondering the same thing.

"I'm taking us to my hometown," Lyle replied, "I want to visit the cemetery and take a look at what's left of the house where my family lived."

"What's left?" Feldt questioned.

Tieria turned to glance at Lyle whose face portrayed no emotion as he spoke, "Parts of the stone walls are the only thing left standing."

Feldt swallowed dryly as she felt guilt well up inside of her. The pink haired girl felt bad for asking him such personal questions in front of a group. It really was none of her business but she couldn't help wanting to learn more, because the more she learned about Lyle's past, the more she learned about Neil's.

"How long?" Setsuna spoke up with a serious face.

Lyle glanced down at the clock on the radio, "Probably forty-five minutes or so, I'll take you all into the city and drop you off at a hotel. The other things… I'd prefer to do them alone."

"That's fine," Tieria nodded.

Feldt heard the hint of sadness in Lyle's voice and had to restrain the tears that struggled to run down her cheeks. Neil's body could never have a final resting place next to his parents' and sister's graves. She found it horrible that he had to die alone and after his death there wasn't a trace of him due to the explosion. It was as though he never existed. The only material left that made her feel close to her Lockon Stratos was Haro. Feldt's feelings betrayed her as a tear ran down her cheek and she sniffed. Setsuna quietly glanced at her but said nothing.

…

"Alright everybody, out you go, this is stop one," Lyle said as he pulled to the side of the road next to a large fancy hotel.

"How are we paying for this?" Feldt turned around and asked Marie.

The super soldier looked to Allelujah who shrugged, "Lockon made it sound like he's got everything covered."

"That's insane," Marie immediately said, "He can't pay for all of us."

"I'm sure Sumeragi had something to do with it," Allelujah spoke.

Setsuna pulled the sliding door open and exited the van first as Tieria and Lyle got out of the front seats. Feldt carefully stood and suddenly felt shaky as she walked toward the door where Setsuna was facing her on the sidewalk. She grabbed for the door frame and took a bad step as her knees trembled. She heard the sound of fabric moving and saw a hand appear in front of her. Feldt's green eyes shot up to see Setsuna staring at her with a neutral expression. She hesitantly reached for his hand and he grasped hers, helping her out.

"Thank you," she said to him and he nodded silently in reply.

"Has he always been this way with girls?" Lyle asked Tieria with a raised eyebrow.

"For the most part, yes," he replied.

Lyle watched the pair with interest glowing in his blue eyes and he smirked. He had given that girl a rude awakening by kissing her suddenly when she compared him to his brother. Since that time the two hadn't spoken much unless it was related to a mission. Lyle suddenly felt angry at the thought of Setsuna having a relationship with someone since he had been the one to kill Anew and steal her from him. Anew had been so special to him and he still loved her even though she was gone. The sniper supposed that he and Feldt were actually similar in quite a few ways considering she lost his brother and he had lost the one he loved as well. Now they were both alone and could do nothing to bring the people most important to them back. Lyle let out a sigh and turned to the entrance of the black and gold hotel which had its doors wide open.

"Let's get checked in, we'll be staying a couple nights here," Lyle said as he entered the building.

A beautiful chandelier was hanging from the upraised ceiling and there were luxurious couches lining the lobby. The floor was a shiny marble and the employees were wearing black suits with ties and white gloves. The group stepped inside out of the light rain and approached the check in counter. When they stopped Feldt's heart suddenly dropped. She was facing the same situation as she had earlier with the van seating. They would obviously be rooming in pairs of two which meant she was going to be paired with someone. She felt like the kid in gym class that experienced the humiliating feeling of being picked last for dodge ball. Feldt's green eyes watched Lyle's back as he spoke to the man at the counter. She knitted her eyebrows as her ears caught words that she was unable to make out.

Lyle turned around and Tieria gave him a small smile, "Gaelic?"

Lyle nodded casually, "I _am_ Irish, it's only natural I speak the language," he said as he looked down at the pairs of room keys in his hand.

Feldt stood rooted to the ground as Lyle tossed two keys, one to Allelujah and the other to Marie with a sly smirk.

"I'm going to guess you two will be sharing a room."

Allelujah's eyes shot down at a small look of embarrassment crossed his features. Marie didn't appear to be fazed and sent Lyle a sweet smile.

"Thank you."

Lyle turned to the remaining three and looked from Tieria to Setsuna, and then to Feldt who was standing slightly off to the side. Just as the sniper was about to open his mouth Setsuna turned to Tieria with a serious face.

"Tieria Erde?"

Tieria let out a sigh and pushed his glasses up his nose, "Alright, that's fine, we can room together for the time being."

Feldt's mouth opened slightly and she couldn't believe what just happened. It seemed as though all Setsuna could do was hurt her again and again. The worst part was that he did it unintentionally because her feelings toward him were one sided. He had no idea how much it hurt her to know that the man she liked either had no idea, or no interest in her.

"Feldt, are you okay with this?" Marie walked forward and grabbed the girl's arm.

Feldt's eyebrows shot up, "I'm alright."

"I can room with you if you'd like, I don't want you to be uncomfortable," Marie told her.

"No, you stay with Allelujah, I don't want to ruin your trip, don't worry about me," Feldt gave her a smile.

Marie stepped back with an unsure frown and looked to Allelujah. He gave her a shrug and she slowly returned to his side, keeping an eye on Feldt.

"Don't look so horrified, I'm not going to try anything this time," Lyle stated casually.

"This time?" Tieria, Setsuna, and Allelujah questioned at the same time.

Marie narrowed her eyes and stared hard at the pink haired girl. She didn't like the idea of Lyle and Feldt being in the same room. Marie knew that the systems engineer was very fragile when it came to Lockon Stratos. It was cruel to put her in a room with a man who was physically identical to the man she used to love. Feldt took a hesitant step forward with her eyes staring at the floor.

"It's alright…" she trailed off quietly and glanced up at the taller man in front of her, "Is it okay with you? Lyle?"

A look of shock spread across the sniper's face and he chuckled, "It's fine with me."

…..

Feldt stood anxiously behind Lyle as he swiped their room key. The lock on their door clicked and he pushed it open.

He turned and gave Feldt a small smile, "Ladies first."

Feldt's eyes shot to the floor and she walked into the room quickly without looking at him. The door shut behind her and Feldt looked around with interest. It was very bright inside, with billowing white curtains moving with the breeze by the window. There were two single beds with white sheets and duvets on them that were only a few feet apart. In between the two beds was an off white night stand with a clock and lamp on it. Feldt walked away from the beds toward the door frame that led to the bathroom. The tiles inside were white and there was another window that sat above the bathtub. The bathtub had silver knobs and there was a clear glass wall with a door surrounding the basin for the shower. There was one sink with a counter and a mirror also present. Feldt backed out of the restroom and next noticed a round table with two chairs next to the window in the bedroom where Lyle was sitting down. He had his phone out and put it down as soon as he saw her.

"Which side do you want? The window, or the door?" he asked her.

Feldt stared at him in confusion, "What?"

Lyle pointed a gloved finger at the beds, "Which side?"

Feldt's eyebrows shot up in realization, "Oh… I'll take the one by the door, is that okay?"

"Whatever you want," Lyle told her, "It doesn't matter to me."

Feldt picked her suitcase up and put it on the foot of her bed where she unzipped it and began scanning the contents inside. She looked down at her toiletries and then hesitantly over to the chair where Lyle was sitting.

The sniper noticed her expression and let out a chuckle, "You can unpack your things, I think we're both old enough to not be embarrassed about it."

Feldt's eyes shot back down to the items in her suitcase. She knew he was right, but it still didn't stop her from feeling uncomfortable at the idea of Lyle seeing her underwear. Feldt inhaled sharply, she was nineteen years old and wasn't a little girl anymore. The fact that Lyle was twenty-nine, ten years older than her, was slightly intimidating, but he didn't seem bothered so she wasn't going to show him her discomfort. The systems engineer grabbed zip-lock bags containing her toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, makeup, deodorant, and other necessities. She made her way to the bathroom and started pulling the items out; placing them around the sink.

Lyle couldn't help but laugh silently to himself as he watched the girl stiffly go about her business. She was trying to put on a strong face, but he wasn't an idiot and could tell she was nervous. He found it amusing to watch the struggles of someone who was inexperienced with the opposite sex and still so innocent. Feldt was still a very young girl by his standards considering he was almost thirty and she had yet to turn twenty. He couldn't help wanting to tease her and make her discomfort more evident. It had been a while since he had been alone with a woman. Anew was everything to him and now that she was gone, he no longer saw the need to be with anyone else because no one would ever be able to compare to her. Feldt was a cute girl, but Anew had been a beautiful and perfect woman in his eyes. Lyle leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes as a cool Irish breeze blew in from outside.

"I'm finished," Feldt said as she emerged from the bathroom and walked toward the sniper.

Lyle stood up quickly and Feldt took a step back as his taller height towered over her.

"I'd better get going," he told her.

"You're going to see your home?" Feldt asked quietly.

Lyle nodded, "I'll be back later."

He started to walk to the door and paused, glancing over his shoulder at Feldt who hadn't moved a step. Her fists were clenched tightly and he could see tears beginning to develop in her eyes. Lyle knew she was thinking of his brother, because his family was Neil's family too, and Neil was the man that first captured Feldt's heart.

"Do you want to come?"

Feldt's head shot up in surprise and tears ran down her cheeks, "What?"

"You can come if you want, but I'm warning you, it's a pretty depressing sight," Lyle told her.

Feldt folded her hands in front of her chest. If she went with him she would be able to see the home where the first Lockon had grown up. She would also get to see the graves of his mother and father as well as his sister. Sorrow filled Feldt once again as she imagined Lockon's final moments, floating alone in space before he was vaporized by the explosion that claimed his life.

"I'll go with you," she suddenly said, "If it's okay with you."

Lyle shrugged, "It's up to you. Since my brother told you a little bit about our family, I suppose he wouldn't mind if I showed you where we lived."

Feldt nodded and felt pride welling within her as she remembered the day when Lockon had gifted her with information from his past. She followed Lyle out the door and down into the lobby where the others were standing.

"We're going to walk around," Allelujah said, "The rain let up so it's a good opportunity."

"There are lots of shops and places to go, knock yourselves out," Lyle told them and added with a small smile, "Tonight we will go out for drinks and do a bit of a pub crawl."

Allelujah couldn't help but grin and nodded, "Sounds like a plan."

Feldt followed Lyle to the van and Marie watched her curiously.

"You aren't coming with us Feldt?" she asked.

"Ah, I'm going with Lyle," Feldt said quietly, feeling embarrassed.

Setsuna stared at her with a small frown and Tieria gave them a small wave as he turned to start walking down the sidewalk. The others turned to follow except for Setsuna who continued to eye Feldt. She opened the passenger door as Lyle slid into the driver's seat on the other side and froze when she heard Setsuna speak clearly.

"Feldt Grace, be careful."

Feldt swung around but the young meister was already walking away from her and following after the group. She swallowed, her heart racing and got into the van with shaky legs.

"You like him, don't you?" Lyle questioned suggestively as he started the engine.

"He doesn't feel the same way," Feldt replied with a solemn expression.

"He'll come around," Lyle shrugged, "And if he doesn't, it's his loss."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Once again, thank you SP00K :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or any of its characters… If I did, Neil would still be alive, and Lyle would be happily with Anew… so sad. Enjoy!**

Feldt stared out the window as the mountainous landscape rolled by. Share gazed in awe at the gorgeous peaks that rose high up into the sky and appeared to touch the clouds. She cracked her window for a few moments for some fresh air but then closed it as it was quite chilly outside.

"It doesn't get much warmer than this," Lyle said, breaking the silence.

"Does it snow?" Feldt asked as she turned to look at him.

"Not really," Lyle replied, "You get mostly fifties and sixties, anything above or below is rare."

"Isn't it depressing when it's never sunny?" Feldt questioned as she stared up at the gloomy gray clouds that coated the sky thickly.

Lyle shrugged, "When it's the only thing you know, it doesn't really matter."

Feldt fell silent as she could hear the tension in the sniper's voice. She began questioning if her decision to come had been the wrong one. The systems engineer felt like she was imposing and it was uncomfortable. They drove on in silence and Feldt leaned her forehead against the glass of the window. She flinched as the glass felt cold on her skin and sat back up. As she did so she realized that the houses they had been driving by were suddenly becoming more dilapidated. Many were missing roofs and all of them looked abandoned with untamed grass growing around them.

"The houses out here never were rebuilt," Lyle spoke, "Most of these people were either killed or didn't have the money to rebuild."

Feldt stared in shock at the deserted lots and the van slowed as Lyle pulled off of the road. He put the vehicle in park and opened his door. Feldt immediately did the same and stepped out to see a gravel drive that led to what appeared to be battered stone walls. There were holes in the structures and pieces of them had fallen to the ground. Feldt was silent as she trailed behind Lyle because she didn't want to impose. She stopped moving as they got closer and Lyle continued on until he was standing in front of the unidentifiable structure. He turned to see her standing a distance away from him.

"What are you doing? I thought you wanted to see this," he asked her with raised eyebrows.

Feldt hesitantly stepped forward until she was next to the taller man and he pointed at the open space in front of him, "This was where the front door used to be."

The pink haired girl swallowed and followed Lyle into the area that the stone walls were surrounding. There were pieces of rotted wood and debris lying about and Feldt's lip quivered.

"The kitchen table was here, and this hole in the wall, that was a window to see out back," Lyle continued with no hint of emotion in his voice, "We had a pretty nice view of the mountains."

"How can you act like it's no big deal?" Feldt suddenly asked as tears came to her eyes, "Your parents and your sister died!"

Lyle turned to face her with one hand on his hip, "I'm not like my brother, I chose to move on instead of fighting for revenge. In the beginning I had no idea what his logic was behind it, but after Anew… I understand what his motive was. The truth is that they're gone and not coming back, so I'll fight for what I have now instead of living in the past like he did."

Feldt's eyes watered as she heard him talk about Neil and she clutched her hand to her chest.

"You really loved him didn't you?" Lyle asked.

Feldt's head shot up and her green eyes stared innocently up at the second Lockon Stratos.

She found her voice and spoke slowly, "I was really young back then, but Lockon showed me genuine kindness… he was kind to everyone and gentle."

"You're saying you were too young for him to see you in a certain way?"

A warm smile came over Feldt's face as she spoke of the fallen man, "I was only fourteen, but every time I was around him I felt happy. He was very important to me even though I'm not sure he saw me as any more than a little girl."

"Hmm," Lyle hummed as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it, "My brother sounds like a decent guy."

"I wanted to come with you," Feldt continued, "So I could learn more about him and where he came from."

Lyle shrugged, "There's not much to tell, I left home when I was in middle school to go to a boarding school so I wasn't around my family much after that."

"Why did you leave? Did you not like it here?"

Lyle took a deep drag and blew a cloud of smoke out with a frown, "I was always getting compared to Neil. I hated it, so I left."

Feldt saw the dejection in his face and asked, "Why were you compared to him? Was it because you were twins?"

"I suppose that has something to do with it, I imagine that even if we hadn't been twins I would have been compared to him. My _genius_ brother, and I could never measure up to him," Lyle spoke, "But I guess that doesn't mean anything now, because he's dead and I'm alive."

Feldt looked at the ground and struggled not to allow the tears in her eyes to run down her cheeks.

"Let's get out of here, I've seen all I need to see," Lyle said as he stared out the former window in the stone wall at the mountains in the background.

Feldt looked up at him as he dropped his cigarette and crushed it with the heel of his boot. She followed him through the front of the house until they were back at the van. The pink haired girl turned and stared at the remains of the house and thought of Neil and how he had lived a peaceful life with his family here before everything was flipped upside down.

She held her hand over her heart and closed her eyes, 'You're with your family again, Neil,' she thought.

Lyle started the van and Feldt closed her door with a solemn expression. The sniper eyed her with his bright blue orbs but said nothing as he pulled back out onto the narrow Irish road.

…

Allelujah stared at Marie as she examined pieces of Irish crystal in one of the stores they were visiting. He smiled at the way she glowed when looking at the gorgeous wine glass. Crystal in Ireland was a big market, the most elite maker of crystal being Waterford Crystal.

"These are fine works of craftsmanship," Tieria stated as he examined a large crystal sculpture of a horse drawn carriage.

Allelujah nodded, "I'm impressed, I've never seen anything like this."

"It all sparkles," Marie said as she looked around the room which practically glimmered under the bright lights.

"It's so expensive," Setsuna stated with a frown as he stared at the price tags hanging from the items.

"Luxury isn't cheap," Tieria replied.

Marie sighed and turned away from the set of purple stained crystal wine glasses. Allelujah watched her with an amused smile and was immediately grateful that they could be together. It was nice to be with her under normal circumstances instead of on the battlefield or in times of war.

"What do you think Lockon and Feldt are doing?" Allelujah asked Tieria.

The innovade shrugged, "I know what you know and that's that he's going to his home and the cemetery."

"Why would Feldt go with him?" Marie questioned, "I thought he wanted to do it alone."

"Maybe they had a conversation while they were unpacking and he decided to let her go," Allelujah said.

"It doesn't make any sense," Setsuna stated dryly.

Allelujah turned to the younger meister and shook his head, "You should wake up Setsuna, it's obvious that Feldt has had feelings for you for a while now."

Setsuna froze and Marie agreed, "It's true."

"I think it's apparent that everyone noticed except for you," Tieria told him.

"Your indifference probably tortures the poor girl," Allelujah said, "Ever since Lockon, Christina, and Lichty died she's had it rough."

Setsuna's chestnut eyes went to the floor and he stared blankly at his feet.

"Let's move on," Tieria said, "We don't want to miss those two when they get back."

"Right," Allelujah and Marie nodded.

Setsuna said nothing and wordlessly followed, deep in thought.

…..

The rain had started again and Feldt stared up at the dark gray clouds as the van came to a stop in front of a large cemetery. She turned with a surprised look as she felt something brush her leg and saw Lyle reaching across her lap to open the glove box. He pulled out an umbrella and closed the compartment with a click. The sniper silently exited the vehicle and opened the umbrella. Feldt followed suit and shivered as cold rain droplets hit her skin. She squinted her eyes and paused as the rain suddenly stopped. She looked up to see Lyle standing next to her and holding the umbrella over both of their heads.

"You'll catch a cold in chilly weather like this," he told her, "I don't want a sick roommate."

Feldt couldn't help but smile slightly, "Thank you."

The pair walked across the emerald colored grass which was soft under their shoes. Celtic crosses rose highly throughout the cemetery marking the graves of the dead. They walked for a few moments before they directly approached a cross with moss growing on it. Lyle came to a stop in front of it and Feldt noticed that there was a newer stone next to the older cross. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise as she read 'Anew Returner' written across it. She quickly looked to Lyle who was staring stoically at Anew's stone. Her gaze fell and shock hit her once again as she saw the names written on the older stone next to Anew's.

_Owen Dylandy_

_Lyndsay Dylandy_

_Amy Dylandy_

_**Neil Dylandy**_

Feldt gasped as she saw Neil's name. Tears immediately began running down her cheeks and she fell to her knees with a sob. Lyle slowly knelt down beside her and put a reassuring hand on her head.

"I had his name added once I found out he was dead, and was able to get Anew a stone next to the Dylandy family plot," Lyle said lowly, "I know my brother and Anew aren't actually resting here, but it's the least I can do to so that their memory can live on long after we're all gone. One day I'll be put to rest here, and then I'll be able to join my family and Anew once again."

Feldt cried freely and reached forward; brushing her fingers over the engraved stone that read _Neil Dylandy_.

"I'm so sorry," she told him in a weak voice.

Lyle grabbed her arm and pulled up so she was standing, "My brother wouldn't want you crying over him all the time, he'd want you to get on with your life and be happy."

Feldt sniffed, "It's almost impossible for me to forget."

Lyle shook his head, "I'm not telling you to forget, I'm telling you to move on with your life and stop living in the past. Make a future for yourself, you're a smart girl."

The pink haired girl wiped her eyes, "I'm doing my best."

Lyle couldn't help but give her a small smile, "Setsuna is your best?"

Feldt's jaw dropped slightly, "What do you mean?"

"He's a pretty cold bastard to be honest."

Feldt saw anger glow in Lyle's blue eyes as he spoke and she knew that the Irishman was remembering how Setsuna killed Anew in front of him.

"I don't know why, he's very special. He seems so alone and I want to make him happy, just like Lockon made me happy," Feldt said softly.

Lyle let out a sigh and shook his head, "You're a good girl, you know that? He doesn't deserve someone like you."

"I think it's the other way around," she whispered.

"No, you've got it wrong, I'm telling you that he's an idiot if he doesn't notice someone like you," Lyle told her and added, "You don't give yourself much credit, have some confidence."

Feldt's tears had stopped falling and she stared up at Lyle with reddened eyes. He looked down at her softly and took a step to turn around. He was halted as Feldt suddenly threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. She pressed her face harshly against his toned chest and the sniper stared down at her in shock. He hesitantly reached up and gave her another pat on the head.

Feldt leaned back, her green eyes shining, "Thank you Lyle, no one has ever said something like that to me before."

Lyle let out a small laugh, "It's nothing, now let's get going. I'm tired of this depressing atmosphere."

Feldt nodded and the pair made their way across the cemetery and back to the van. Lyle walked her to the passenger side under the umbrella and opened the door for her.

"Thank you," Feldt said with a small smile as she slid into her seat.

Lyle made his way to the driver's side and shook the umbrella before folding it back up. He got in and the engine roared to life as he turned the key.

"And we're off again," Lyle stated as they drove down the road.

"Thanks for letting me come with you," Feldt told him.

"The others are going to have a hay day with this," Lyle laughed, "I'm sure we will have some questions to answer when we get back."

Feldt let out a small giggle, "You're probably right, and the fact we're staying in the same room…"

Lyle shrugged, "Only we know the truth, we aren't hiding anything."

Feldt glanced at the clock on the radio and saw that it was getting close to dinner time. She looked over at Lyle who reached forward and increased the speed of the windshield wipers as the rain grew heavy.

"Damn it," Lyle said in a hushed voice as he leaned forward to try and see through the water splattering harshly on the windshield.

"I hope the others made it back to the hotel without getting soaked," Feldt noted.

"I'm sure they're fine, they better be back there when we return because I'm starving," Lyle sighed.

"I am too," Feldt agreed.

They rode in silence for a while before Killarney began to materialize in the distance as the rain let up to a sprinkle. Feldt stared out her window and saw people walking the streets with umbrellas.

"You know Feldt, I think we might actually be friends now," Lyle suddenly said.

Feldt turned quickly, feeling embarrassed.

"I feel bad about what happened when we first met, that was a bad move on my part," Lyle told her and added, "But you really pissed me off by thinking I was my brother so I wanted to do something to show you I wasn't him."

"I know, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been comparing you to him…" Feldt trailed off, "You're two different people and I can see that now."

Lyle gave her a smile, "Good, now how about after dinner we go out for a few drinks?"

Feldt's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "I've never…"

The sniper started laughing at her innocent face, "I could have guessed that… Don't worry, I'll take it easy on you."

Feldt felt her cheeks grow red and she turned to look out the window quickly before saying quietly, "I'll go, but don't let me get sick."

Lyle pulled up in front of the hotel and threw the van in park, "You've got a deal," he winked.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you again SP00K! **

**To Nokoru Shishido Malfoy: Glad you like the idea! It's been bugging me ever since I watched the second season! I think that she and Lyle would make a great pair too even though I like him and Anew together as well.**

**To spiritjumper: Ohh it's not finished, so don't worry!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or any of its characters.**

"Hey Feldt, how did your day go?" Allelujah asked from where he was sitting in one of the chairs in the lobby.

She gave him a smile, "It was good… how was yours? Did you get some shopping done?"

Allelujah shrugged, "I guess you can say that, mostly we marveled at things that are way too expensive for us to own."

"You didn't get caught in the rain did you?" Feldt questioned.

The meister shook his head, "No, Tieria drug us back here before it started pouring."

Lyle stepped forward, "So where's everyone at?"

"They're up in their rooms, getting changed for dinner I suppose," Allelujah answered.

Feldt nodded, "That's a good idea," she said quietly to herself.

Lyle glanced down at the pink haired girl, "We should do that same thing."

Allelujah watched as the pair bypassed the elevator and started walking up the carpeted stairs. He smiled slightly as he noticed that Feldt seemed much more relaxed around Lyle then she had previously.

"What's going on with those two?" he muttered.

…..

Feldt stared at herself in the bathroom mirror with a frown. Even though she had been under an umbrella most of the time, the rain had still reached her and now her pink hair was frizzy. She began running a brush through it slowly and sighed as the wild hairs fell back into place. The systems engineer jumped when she heard a knock at the bathroom door behind her.

"I'm going to take a shower," Lyle called to her, "I'll make it quick."

Feldt turned and pulled the door open where she saw the sniper with a set of fresh clothes draped over one of his forearms. He gave her a nod with soft eyes and walked by her. Feldt walked to her suitcase and began shuffling through the clothing that was folded neatly inside. Her eyebrows rose when she heard the shower start and she glanced at the closed bathroom door with large green eyes. The gravity of her situation was starting to hit her. Feldt realized that she would have to change, bathe, use the bathroom, and other do things with a man inhabiting the same room as her. She sighed ,trying to remember that she wasn't a little girl anymore and that it shouldn't be a big deal. Several minutes passed and Feldt's eyes trailed over to the open duffle bag that was on Lyle's bed. She looked back to the closed bathroom door and took steps toward his luggage. Feldt hesitantly reached out and pulled the side of the bag open further so she could see inside. She leaned forward and jumped back when she heard the water in the other room stop. Feldt got a nervous feeling in her stomach and quickly made her way back to her suitcase where she pulled out a pink shirt and jeans. The pink haired girl stared at the denim pants and frowned, wondering if they were too casual.

Feldt's head shot up and she looked to the bathroom door which was pulled open quickly. White steam flowed out of the room and she watched as Lyle emerged with only a towel wrapped around his slender waist. His eyes were closed as he exited the bathroom and he ran his fingers through his wet brown hair that was clinging to the skin on his neck. Feldt's cheeks lit up brightly and she stood frozen with her eyes stuck on him. Lyle cracked one blue eye and his eyebrows perked up slightly.

"I almost forgot you were in here," he told her as he started digging around in his bag.

"Didn't…" Feldt started and he turned to look at her.

Feldt's breath caught in her throat as she watched droplets of water run down his chest and absorb into the towel wrapped around him. Lyle raised his hand again and slowly ran his fingers through his hair as he watched her.

"Your bag… erm, your clothes, you had them earlier," Feldt babbled out incoherently.

Lyle laughed and snapped his fingers, "Right, I took my clothes in with me, I forgot."

Feldt stared at the sniper's muscular back as he returned to the bathroom and left the door cracked. She could see part of the mirror inside from where she was standing and let out a small yelp when she saw one of his hands reach for the towel around his waist.

"Feldt, you'd better get changed or we'll be late," Lyle called out to her.

The pink haired girl stared down at the floor and grabbed her clothes quickly. She was having a hard time believing that the sniper had _forgotten_ about the clothes he brought into the bathroom with him.

"Okay, stay in there until I'm done," Feldt said shakily as she started removing her clothes as quickly as possible and replacing them.

Lyle chuckled from inside of the steamy bathroom, "Whatever you say."

…..

"What should I get?" Feldt mumbled as she stared at a menu.

The group had left the hotel and made their way to a restaurant on one of the main roads inside of Killarney. The tables were round and covered in white tablecloths with the silverware neatly set out. Feldt ended up sitting between Marie and Lyle with Setsuna facing her on the other side of the table. She swallowed dryly as she felt his eyes on her and she concentrated on the menu as hard as she could.

"This is a nice little place," Allelujah said as he leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling where the chandeliers were dimmed for dinner lighting.

Marie smiled at him, "I agree."

"Lockon, how are we paying for this?" Tieria asked.

The sniper shrugged with a relaxed sigh, "You guys need to quit worrying about that, I've got it covered."

Allelujah shook his head, "It seems too good to be true."

"We aren't stealing or anything, it's all been taken care of," Lyle replied.

"By Sumeragi?" Feldt spoke up.

Lyle gave her a wink, "Something like that."

Feldt's eyebrows shot up and her green eyes trailed down the sniper until she was staring at his pocket where he pulled out what looked like a credit card of some sort. He slid it back quickly and leaned toward the pink haired girl. Setsuna narrowed his eyes from the other side of the table and Allelujah's eyes widened.

"Do you know what you're getting?" Lyle asked her innocently.

Feldt could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks and her eyes remained glued on the menu in front of her. She knew that if she looked up she might lose it as the smell of his masculine body wash hit her nose.

"I'd recommend the fish and chips, it's an Irish specialty," he smiled at her and pulled away from her back to his own area.

Feldt let out a relieved sigh and nodded, "I'll do that."

"Well I know two people who won't be having drinks with their dinner," Allelujah stated as he gazed over at Tieria and Setsuna, "What about you Feldt?"

Feldt smiled shyly, "I think I'm going to wait until we go to the pub afterward, I'm not really sure what I can tolerate."

"You've never had a drink before, have you?" Allelujah asked and let out a laugh, "That's great!"

"Of course she hasn't, she's only been of age for a year," Marie said, "And she's always incredibly busy with her work."

Feldt nodded, "It's true."

"Everyone needs to cut loose and have a little fun every once in a while," Lyle said and glanced at Setsuna and Tieria, "And you _two_ are no exception. I'll pour it down your throats if I have to."

Tieria furrowed his brow and Setsuna frowned. Feldt couldn't help the small giggle that escaped her and Setsuna's expression softened instantly. The waiter approached their table and asked them for their drinks.

"What am I supposed to get?" Setsuna asked lowly and wrinkled his nose.

"Something light," Tieria stated dryly.

"Are you saying I can't handle it?" Setsuna questioned with a serious expression.

Lyle turned to the waiter, "I'll have a Guinness," he told him and then looked to Setsuna, "Setsuna, do you like soda?"

The young meister narrowed his eyes and Lyle looked back to the waiter, "He'll have Jameson and coke."

"I'll have water," Feldt said meekly with a small smile.

"Chardonnay," Marie stated and glanced to Allelujah.

He scrutinized the drink section on his menu and looked up, "I guess I'll take a shot of Jameson on the rocks."

The waiter nodded and wrote quickly on his notepad and glanced at Tieria.

"Bailey's Irish Cream," the innovade stated seriously.

With that, the waiter retreated and Lyle let out a chuckle, "You know that cream liquor is for girls, don't you Tieria?"

Tieria curled his lip, "Whatever, it doesn't matter, a drink is a drink."

Allelujah laughed and sarcastically said, "Sure, whatever."

Lyle glanced at Feldt, "I'll take care of _you_ later, it's probably best you don't have anything here. If I was a betting man, I'd say you were a bit of a light weight so we will take it slow."

Marie nodded, "I may be older, but I haven't gone out and drank that much. I found out fairly quickly that it doesn't take much to get _that_ feeling going on."

Feldt raised her eyebrows, "That feeling?"

"She's talking about when the alcohol starts having an effect on you, or as most people call it, a _buzz_," Tieria interjected.

Feldt looked to Lyle with green doe eyes, "How can you tell when you get to that point?"

Lyle gave her a grin and once again found himself marveling at her innocence, "Believe me… you'll know."

"The problem is knowing when to stop," Setsuna stated dryly.

Allelujah laughed, "What would you know about that Setsuna?"

"You've seen Sumeragi just like I have," the young meister returned.

Allelujah paused, "Oh right… I forgot about her. She's definitely a woman who enjoys her alcohol."

"Sometimes too much," Tieria added.

The waiter returned, balancing all of their drinks and placed them down in front of each person. He took their food orders and left them once again.

"What now? Do you need a straw Setsuna?" Lyle asked with an amused tone.

Setsuna stared down at his glass filled with fizzing soda and frowned.

"Try it," Allelujah told him as he sipped on his own drink with a satisfied sigh.

Marie grabbed her Chardonnay and smiled as she drank from her glass, "Perfect."

Feldt awkwardly picked up her water and drank deeply to quench her thirst. She was nervous about having drinks later and was worried about having too much and losing control. Her stomach turned uneasily and she held her breath for a few seconds. She glanced up to once again find Setsuna looking at her. Feldt decided to speak up and take some initiative as he quickly looked away.

"How did your day go Setsuna? Did you see anything interesting while you guys were out?" Feldt asked him.

Everyone at the table paused and all eyes went to the black haired Krugis boy.

"Not really," he said tightly and added, "It was all too expensive."

"You guys were looking in the wrong places then," Lyle said.

"We were in a crystal shop," Marie spoke up, "They had some incredible pieces there."

Lyle leaned back in his chair, "No wonder it was expensive… some of those crystal pieces cost more than a mountain of euros, I take it you were looking at Waterford stuff?"

Allelujah shrugged, "I have no idea, it was crystal and it was expensive."

The group's dinner arrived and Feldt stared down at her plate with wide eyes. She glanced over at Lyle's and remembered that he had ordered the same thing that she did.

"The Waterford crystal has stickers on every piece made. There's a little green seahorse on it, that's how you know it's from them," Lyle explained as he dug into his meal.

"Are you sure you'd rather be a Gundam meister than a tour guide?" Tieria asked the sniper with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Lyle chuckled, "I suppose I deserve that, but I grew up and went to school here. I can't help that I have good background knowledge for my country."

"I think it's great," Feldt spoke up, "I like hearing about it."

Marie nodded in agreement, "It's refreshing to listen to."

Lyle gave Tieria a shrug, "There you have it, the ladies approve so I'm in the clear."

…

Feldt stared at Lyle's back as the group walked down the dark streets of Killarney which were illuminated somewhat by street lamps. There were people out everywhere and Feldt could tell that most of them were drunk. They stumbled along the narrow sidewalks and out into the roads while laughing loudly. A comforting hand appeared on her shoulder and the pink haired girl turned to see Marie looking at her with a sympathetic smile.

"Relax Feldt, it's not going to be a big deal, and nothing bad will happen, I promise," she told her.

Feldt nodded, "Thanks Marie, I'm just a little nervous because I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing."

Marie laughed, "To be honest, I'm not either, but we're in a group, so it doesn't matter… we will have a good time no matter what."

Allelujah was on the other side of Marie and leaned forward to look at Feldt with a soft smile, "Don't sweat it, we'll all be too busy laughing at Setsuna to be worried about what you're doing."

Feldt turned to see Setsuna who was wearing a blank expression and walking off to the side by himself. She took a deep breath and took a few diagonal steps so she was next to him.

"Feldt?" he questioned as she looked up at him with her green eyes.

"Let's have a good time this evening, okay?" she said with a sweet smile as her heart pounded.

Setsuna's eyes went to the ground and he shoved his hands in his pockets without a word. Feldt felt discouraged and started to put distance between them again when he reached out and grabbed her sleeve.

"Feldt," he said again and she paused.

"Be careful this evening," he told her.

Feldt gave him another smile, "I'll be fine, you'll be with me right?"

Setsuna's eyebrows shot up and he nodded slowly, "Yes, yes I will."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I had WKD when I was in Ireland and it was amazing! Very fruity and easy on you if you aren't big on strong alcohol taste. The only problem is that they taste like blue Kool-Aid so it's hard to quit drinking them until it's too late… I experienced this, haha! Okay, on with it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or any of its characters!**

Feldt sat at the bar awkwardly between Lyle and Setsuna. The pub was incredibly crowded and loud as there was a live band playing Irish pub music. There weren't enough seats next to each other for the group so they had split off to find smaller spots. Lyle had brought Feldt to the bar and Setsuna followed her closely. Tieria, Allelujah, and Marie were sitting on the far side of the bar at the other side of the pub and Feldt could barely see them. The systems engineer's mouth was dry and her stomach twisted nervously. She was in between Setsuna who she liked, and Lyle who she was growing to like with the more time they spent together. It was true that she and Lyle had gotten off to a bad start when he had unceremoniously kissed her but now she wasn't comparing him to his brother anymore. Lyle and Neil were identical twins, but Feldt could now see that they were definitely different. When she looked at the second Lockon Stratos she no longer had thoughts of Neil flooding her brain; instead, she recognized Lyle as his own person.

Then there was Setsuna, the introverted and socially backward Gundam meister who seemed cold and uncaring on the outside. Feldt definitely had feelings for the Krugis boy and cared for him a great deal. He had suffered for much of his life and she desperately wanted to show him love and happiness because he had been deprived of it for so long. She wanted to see Setsuna smile and enjoy life rather than be alone forever because he was unwilling to let anyone get close to him.

The pub was dimly lit inside and the glass bottles of alcohol glittered behind the bar as the bartenders made drinks. One of them approached the trio and Lyle glanced down at Feldt who was sitting tensely. Lyle leaned down close to the pink haired girl's ear so she could hear him over the noise.

"I know the perfect thing you can start off with," he told her clearly.

Feldt jumped and looked to her side quickly to find herself nose to nose with the sniper. Heat rushed to her cheeks and she pulled back quickly, falling into Setsuna who caught her in his lap awkwardly. Feldt thought she was going to burst from embarrassment and sat up quickly muttering apologies over and over. Lyle laughed loudly and Setsuna watched Feldt intently with his dark chestnut eyes.

"We're going to fix this so you can relax a bit," Lyle said as he waved one of the bartenders down again, "I'll take a Murphy's stout, and the lady here will have a blue WKD."

Feldt looked up at Lyle questioningly and he grinned at her, "It's a fruity drink with vodka, you'll like it, I promise."

The bartender turned around and went to work quickly, pouring Lyle's drink into a large glass and sliding a glass bottle in front of Feldt with bright blue liquid inside. The sniper snatched his large glass which was filled to the brim and took a deep drink, slamming it back down on the wooden bar with a smile.

"Alright Setsuna, it's time to man up and branch out, no more soda to mask the alcohol," Lyle leaned forward and called to the Krugis meister.

Setsuna shook his head, "I have no idea what to get because I'm not familiar with any of this."

Lyle shrugged, "Now is the perfect time to get experience then, pick something."

Setsuna narrowed his eyes and stared ahead, reaching a hand forward and pointing at one of the handles on the beer dispenser.

"Harp? Not bad," Lyle remarked as the bartender snatched a glass and filled it to the brim with Harp lager.

Setsuna stared at the amber drink with foam on top of it as it was placed in front of him. He reached forward and grabbed the glass, taking a deep drink. The meister immediately put the glass down and coughed with his eyes squeezed tightly shut.

"Setsuna! Are you okay?" Feldt asked, leaning toward him and placing a hand on his arm.

Lyle was laughing in the background and Setsuna cleared his throat roughly; hitting his chest lightly with his fist.

"I'm okay," he said in a gritty voice.

"Don't gulp the foam kid," Lyle called out, "That'll happen to you every time."

"How can you enjoy this?" Setsuna questioned seriously as he watched Lyle tip his glass to the ceiling and finish his stout.

"I'm Irish, drinking is what we're the best at," he replied as he waved the bartender down, "I'll have another one of those," he pointed at his empty glass.

"Lyle, you drank that really fast!" Feldt exclaimed.

The sniper shook his head and gave her a wink, "That's nothing for me, don't you worry."

Feldt sighed and turned to her own drink that was sitting untouched in front of her. She reached out slowly and lifted the bottle to her lips; her green eyes darting to Lyle and then to Setsuna. The blue liquid touched her lips and Feldt's eyebrows shot up as she swallowed. The pink haired girl placed the drink back on the bar with a stunned expression.

"So?" Lyle leaned an elbow on the countertop and smirked at her.

"It's good…" Feldt trailed off in disbelief.

"Didn't I tell you I'd take care of you?" he reached out and gave her a pat on the head.

Feldt blushed and nodded, "You did."

….

An hour passed and Feldt realized that she had had three of the fruity blue drinks and was currently working on her fourth. She wrinkled her nose at the tingling feeling she was getting throughout her body. The systems engineer felt slightly warm and had the strong urge to giggle at random points. Lyle was laughing merrily as he talked to some fellow Irishmen and Feldt stared at the five empty glasses that were at his seat. She turned to Setsuna who finished his second beer and placed the glass down lightly with a frown. The black haired meister noticed Feldt staring at him and glanced at her. His eyebrows rose slightly as he noticed her cheeks were flushed and her lips were slightly parted. Setsuna swallowed dryly and watched as she reached for her fourth drink. He instinctively grabbed her arm and she paused with a surprised face.

"Maybe you should stop," Setsuna told her.

"But I haven't finished this one yet, I don't want to waste it," Feldt murmured as she reached with the arm he wasn't holding, "Besides, I can't even taste anything in them, they're like juice."

Setsuna shook his head, "I'd say that's the trap of those types of drinks. They're sugary so you can't taste the alcohol, and before you know it…" he trailed off as Feldt began giggling.

"I need to use the restroom," she suddenly said, sliding sloppily off of her bar stool.

Setsuna grabbed her arm quickly as she wobbled and got off of his stool as well to stand next to her.

"I'll be back," she told him.

"Don't go alone," Setsuna warned, "Have Marie go with you."

Feldt shook her head, "No, she's having a good time and I'm not going to take her away from Allelujah."

Setsuna let out a sigh, "Fine… I'll go and wait outside the door for you."

Feldt smiled at him with flushed cheeks, "Okay then."

In her hazy state Feldt was still surprised by Setsuna's protectiveness and couldn't believe he was talking as much as he was. She held onto his sleeve as he weaved his way through the mass of drunken people until they were at the restrooms in the back. Luckily, there was no line out of the door and Feldt let go of Setsuna without glancing back at him and stumbled into the women's restroom.

"This doesn't feel right," Feldt mumbled as she pulled open the door to one of the stalls.

She finished her business and walked with wobbling knees to the sink where she stared at herself in the mirror. Her pupils were incredibly dilated making the green of her eyes almost impossible to see. She also noticed that her skin was flushed and that the room seemed to be moving under her feet. Feldt reached out and turned the sink on, splashing cold water on her face and patting it on the back of her neck. She sighed and gripped the counter while leaning all of her weight on it.

"What am I doing?" Feldt asked out loud as she continued to look at herself, "Is this wrong?"

There was a knock on the bathroom door and Feldt turned to see it open slightly with a chestnut eye staring in at her.

"Feldt? Are you alright?"

Feldt pushed away from the counter quickly and smiled, "Oh, Setsuna! I'm fine!"

The pink haired girl wavered on her feet for a few seconds before reaching forward and grabbing the counter again with wide eyes.

"What's wrong with me?" Feldt cried out and clutched her head, "The room is moving I swear!"

Setsuna looked over his shoulder and saw no one was around and entered the bathroom quickly. He reached out and put one of her arms around his shoulders before leading her back out into the bar room.

"It's called being drunk," Setsuna said, "I'll take you back to the hotel, you need to rest."

Feldt gripped the side of his jacket tightly in her fist as they walked and she bit the insides of her cheeks. She hated feeling like she couldn't control her own body. It was like she was in an alternate universe where everything was foggy and swimming.

"Lockon, we're headed back," Setsuna called out to the sniper.

Lyle turned to see Feldt hanging off of the black haired meister and he left the group he had been talking with.

"Feldt, are you alright?"

"I think I had too much," she said with a deflated sigh.

Lyle narrowed his eyes, "I'm sorry, I should have been watching you, I got caught up in a conversation. You're definitely a lightweight, I guessed right."

Feldt shook her head, "It's not your fault, I'm glad you're having fun."

Lyle couldn't help but smile and turned to Setsuna, "Make sure she starts drinking water as soon as you two get back," he said as he tossed Setsuna one of the room keys.

Feldt let out a small moan and Setsuna nodded at the sniper as they continued moving. He led her over to where Allelujah, Marie, and Tieria were sitting.

"We're going back," Setsuna told them over the music.

Allelujah stared at Feldt and a laugh escaped him, "She overdid it didn't she?"

"I thought Lockon was supposed to be watching her," Tieria said.

"Feldt! Are you going to be okay?" Marie asked, "Do you want me to come back with you?"

Feldt shook her head quickly and regretted it as her vision swam, "No, I'll be fine, I have Setsuna."

Allelujah gave the young meister a serious look and said, "This is your chance Setsuna, don't screw it up."

"Take good care of her, she's a necessity to our team," Tieria told him.

Setsuna nodded and gave the three a wave before pushing open the door to the pub. The night air was chilly as it hit the pair and Feldt sighed at the cooling effect it had on her feverish skin.

"It's nice and quiet out here," Feldt whispered as she walked slowly with Setsuna still guiding her.

"You have to be more careful next time," Setsuna suddenly said as they walked under the street lamps.

Feldt sighed, "I know, but to tell you the truth I still had fun, it was a new experience."

"I guess…"

"It's also really great to see everyone happy," Feldt continued, "I wish I could see that more often."

For the rest of the walk the pair moved in a comfortable silence until they entered the hotel. Setsuna stared up at the carpeted staircase and looked down at Feldt's head. She was hanging heavily on him and he decided she was in no condition to travel up flights of stairs. He walked her to the elevator and waited patiently for the doors to open.

As they entered the lift and the doors closed Setsuna spoke, "I'll take you to your room and help you get to bed."

Feldt frowned as the doors opened onto their floor, "But I still need to shower and brush my teeth, I can't go to bed dirty like this."

"I can't help you get into the shower," Setsuna said awkwardly as they arrived at Lyle and Feldt's room.

"Why? You said you were going to be there for me this evening, and the evening isn't over yet," Feldt told him, surprised at her boldness that was strengthened by the alcohol in her blood.

Setsuna wordlessly swiped the room key and the door clicked open. Feldt stumbled into the room and grabbed the round table that was in front of the open window where the night breeze blew in. Setsuna closed the door softly and turned to see Feldt making her way to the bathroom. He heard the sink turn on and assumed she was brushing her teeth. He grabbed the remote to the small television that was on top of a dresser and flipped it on.

Feldt finished brushing her teeth and let out a relieved sigh that the taste of alcohol in her mouth was finally gone. She stumbled slightly and hit her knee on the side of the bathtub with a bang.

"Feldt?" Setsuna called out as he approached the bathroom and peered in.

"I'm okay," she returned as she rubbed her knee with a frown, "I'm going to take a shower, then I'll go to sleep so you can get back to your room."

Setsuna looked around awkwardly before asking, "Do you need help?"

Feldt shook her head, "I don't want to make you uncomfortable, I can manage."

Setsuna started to back up when Feldt spoke again, "But you can bring me those pink nightclothes on my bed, I'll need them."

The meister swung around to see light pink silk pajamas in the form of a tank top and shorts on the bed. Setsuna swallowed with a gritty feeling in his throat as his eyes fell upon the pair of lacy panties that were resting on top of them. He tensed slightly when he heard the shower start and the sound of the glass door sliding.

"I made it!" Feldt called out to him, "If you could set those on the counter I'd appreciated it."

Setsuna reached out slowly and picked up the articles which slid against his fingers softly. He entered the bathroom and paused with his eyes widening significantly. Apparently in her state Feldt had forgotten that the glass panels surrounding the shower weren't glazed but clear. Setsuna stood shell shocked, unsure what to do as he watched the girl in front of him bend her back into a curved 'S' as she leaned into the hot water behind her with her eyes closed. Setsuna immediately snapped out of his trance and placed the garments where he was told; leaving the bathroom quickly.

He sat down and stared at the television, not registering anything he was watching because the only thing his mind could see at the moment was the wet slender body of the beautiful woman showering just feet away from him. The water stopped several minutes later and Setsuna sat rigidly as he heard Feldt step out onto the tile floor of the bathroom.

"I feel dizzy," she said, "That hot water felt great but I'm light headed now."

"Get some cold water from the sink and drink it," Setsuna told her tightly.

"Right."

Setsuna heard water from the sink start to run and he let out a small sigh. Time passed and Feldt emerged from the bathroom with her pajamas on and her wet pink hair sticking to her skin. Setsuna's eyes widened once again as he saw that her hair had dripped water down onto the front of her tank top making the material wet and quite transparent. Feldt held her glass of water and sipped on it with innocent green eyes as Setsuna stood stiffly.

"I appreciate your help and I'm sorry for all the trouble," Feldt said quietly to him.

Setsuna shook his head, "It's fine," and started to make his way to the door.

As he brushed by her, Feldt reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him to a stop. He looked down at her with raised eyebrows and the pink haired girl leaned in and placed a soft kiss on the black haired boy's cheek. Setsuna flushed immediately and pulled out of her grasp and grabbed the door knob.

"Goodnight Feldt."

"Goodnight to you too, Setsuna."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: To Gundam00-nut: You're awesome! Thank you and I'm glad you like it! And as always, thank you to SP00K!**

**Here's a huge chapter… the second day of their trip.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or any of its characters!**

The next morning Feldt let out a small moan as she felt someone jiggling her shoulder. She turned over slowly in her bed to see bright blue eyes looking down at her with a smirk.

"Good morning," Lyle said smoothly with knowing eyes, "Did you have fun last night?"

Feldt blinked her sleepy eyes and sat up, stretching her arms over her head. She glanced at the clock to see it was around seven in the morning. A yawn escaped her lips and she held her hand over her mouth as she pulled the covers off of her legs. Lyle watched her expectantly and her pink eyebrows shot up as she answered his earlier question.

"Yes, I did," she told him earnestly, "I need to be a little more careful next time though."

"Any headache? Sensitivity to light?" Lyle asked with a smile as he turned away from her and opened his duffle bag.

Feldt squinted at the window where the morning sun was shining in and she shook her head, "No, I feel okay, just a little tired."

"Good, now get ready so we can head down for breakfast," he told her.

Feldt slowly stood and watched as Lyle sifted through his clothes and chose a pair of jeans with a shirt and jacket to wear for the day.

"How late did you stay last night?" she asked him.

Lyle glanced over his shoulder, "Ah, probably a little longer than I should have, I was the last one to get back," he laughed.

Feldt smiled, "You had a good time, I'm glad."

"Any place with a bar is a good time for an Irishman like me," he winked and then asked, "Did you make it back here okay?"

Feldt's memory surged and she remembered Setsuna bringing her back to her room and waiting on her while she got ready for bed. Her jaw dropped slightly and a knot formed in her stomach as she also remembered the small kiss she had placed on the black haired meister's cheek.

"What?" Lyle asked, "Did something happen between you two?" he asked suggestively.

Feldt fell back onto the bed in a sitting position heavily as she thought deeply about what occurred the previous night. Setsuna had been so kind in escorting her back and making sure she wasn't alone while in the pub. Guilt welled up inside her as she came to the conclusion she took unfair advantage of him in her intoxicated state.

"I have to apologize to him," Feldt suddenly said.

"Whoa, whoa, apologize for what?" Lyle asked with a curious expression, "Feldt, slow down."

Feldt looked up at the sniper with watering green eyes, "I kissed Setsuna last night… I didn't mean to!"

An expression of surprise crossed Lyle's face before he started laughing, "You're upset because you planted one on him? I think that's the least of your worries. I doubt Setsuna is upset about a cute girl like you giving him some attention."

Feldt shook her head, "No, I shouldn't have done it, he doesn't like me like that. I forced myself and my feelings onto him, that's not fair."

Lyle shook his head, "Go talk to the guy, I think you're overreacting."

Feldt swallowed and nodded, "I'll talk to him when I get the chance today."

Lyle chuckled, "It would probably be a good idea to keep it between you two unless you want everyone hounding you about it."

The pink haired girl stood once again and made her way to the bathroom, "I will."

…

A large continental breakfast was being served by the hotel downstairs. Feldt followed after Lyle as they entered the dining hall and spotted a large table where everyone from their group was already sitting. They sat down and Feldt looked across the table meekly at Setsuna who refused to make eye contact with her. Guilt welled inside of Feldt once again and she squeezed her fists tightly in her lap. Lyle glanced down at the girl next to him and then over to Setsuna who was looking off to the side with a frown on his face. The sniper wanted to tell the young meister to act like a man and talk it out if he had a problem, but he kept his mouth shut.

"Would you like coffee or tea?" a small female waitress asked in a soft voice.

Lyle gave her a charming smile, "Coffee."

"I'll have tea," Feldt said in a small voice.

"You feel alright this morning Feldt?" Allelujah asked, breaking the silence.

Feldt gave him a smile, "I do, but I'm going to be a bit more careful from now on."

Marie glanced at Setsuna, "I guess it's good that Setsuna was able to take you back to your room early so you could rest."

Feldt nodded, looking to the boy from Krugis and spoke, "It was, I really appreciated it."

Lyle furrowed his brow and spoke, "Hey Setsuna, this is where you say, it wasn't a big deal and you didn't mind at all."

Setsuna flashed the sniper a glare and said nothing as he grabbed a piece of toast; taking an aggressive bite out of it.

Tieria sipped on his coffee and spoke to the black haired meister, "You've been acting strange since last night."

"Can everyone quit worrying about me?" Setsuna suddenly asked, "I'm fine."

Allelujah looked to Feldt and then to Setsuna and frowned. He reached below the table and placed a hand on Marie's thigh. She looked to him with large golden eyes.

"What is it?" she asked him quietly as Lyle talked to Tieria about how he had fared the previous night.

"Look at Feldt and Setsuna, I think something happened last night after he brought her back," Allelujah replied lowly.

Marie turned to see Feldt staring blankly at her plate and then to Setsuna who was scrutinizing the table cloth with narrowed eyes.

"I agree," she stated, "Is there something we should do?"

Allelujah shrugged, "I don't think so… meddling in stuff like that usually makes things worse."

Marie nodded and Allelujah added, "But we can support Feldt in case she needs someone to talk to."

"What about Setsuna?" she questioned.

Allelujah gazed over at the forlorn boy and shook his head with disappointment, "This is probably his fault so he can figure it out on his own. He's made a habit of hurting anyone who tries to get close to him."

"Do you think Lockon knows?" Marie asked.

Allelujah turned his sights to the sniper who was laughing at a disgruntled Tieria, "He might… he and Feldt seem to have gotten kind of close."

"Let's leave it be for now," Marie decided, "But let's keep our eyes on them."

Allelujah nodded and picked up his coffee cup, "Sounds good to me."

…..

"What's the plan for today mister tour guide?" Allelujah joked as he helped Marie climb into the van.

Lyle gave him a sinister grin, "Are you sure you want to know?"

"Now I'm nervous," Marie said seriously.

Lyle swung around as Allelujah and Marie sat down in the back seat.

"Everyone pick a partner," he announced, "We're going _canoeing_ today."

Tieria's eyebrows shot up, "Canoeing? Why on earth…"

"It'll be good for you," Lyle brushed him off, "And there's some beautiful scenery for the ladies."

Feldt stood frozen and looked to Setsuna who showed no acknowledgment of her existence. She let out a deflated sigh and jumped when she felt a strong arm encircle itself around her waist. Feldt let out a small yelp as Lyle pulled her in flush against his front and her cheeks lit up.

"Feldt's mine," he declared with a proud smile.

Allelujah and Marie were talking to each other quietly in the van and stared out the open doors at Setsuna who showed no emotion at Lyle's possessive display.

"Setsuna, team up with me today," Allelujah finally spoke.

The young meister looked up with a slightly shocked expression and nodded slowly, "Okay then."

"I guess that leaves you with me Tieria," Marie gave him a small smile.

The innovade shrugged, "I don't mind, it will be nice to have someone who can at least carry a conversation."

Setsuna didn't seem to notice the insult and got into the van sitting in the seat that Feldt had sat in on the far side the previous day.

"Sit up front with me," Lyle told Feldt, giving her a small squeeze on her shoulder as he noticed her discomfort.

"But Tieria…" Feldt trailed off.

The innovade shook his head, "I don't mind, Lockon's driving is something I don't want a front row seat to today."

"Ouch," Lyle said sarcastically as he slammed the door behind Tieria.

Feldt got into the passenger seat and Lyle walked around to the driver's door where he got into the van; starting the engine.

"And we're off!" Lyle declared.

…

Feldt stared down at the life vest she had just put on. Lyle gave her a smile and handed her a wooden paddle.

"Do a lot of people do this here?" she asked him.

"Yep, lots of rivers down here in Killarney which makes for great canoeing and kayaking," Lyle replied.

There were three canoes on the bank of the river that Lyle had rented from a nearby canoe business. Tieria was kneeling on the ground investigating the canoe with narrowed eyes.

"This looks quite aged," he stated dryly, "It's not going to leak, is it?"

"Come on Tieria, live a little," Allelujah said, "Stop being so uptight."

"Alright," Lyle announced, "Let's get going then, shall we?"

Feldt nodded and he pointed at the canoe, "You get in, and I'll push."

"But," she started and he cut her off, "If I push it in the water and we both try to get in it while it's floating, we'll tip it… do you want to get soaked before we've even started?"

Feldt's eyes shot down, "Well no…"

Lyle chuckled and pointed to the canoe again, "Alright then."

Feldt started to get in and paused, "Do you want me in the front or the back?" she questioned as she stared at the two spots that were available to sit.

"Front, I'd prefer to be the one steering us, especially if we hit any rapids."

Feldt gulped and sat down on the metal bench in the front with the wooden paddle across her lap. She grabbed onto the sides of the canoe as she felt Lyle push the boat and heard the gravel scraping the metal skin of it. She looked over to see the other two groups following Lyle's lead as Allelujah pushed his canoe with Setsuna in the front seat and Tieria pushed his canoe with Marie sitting in it. Feldt could feel the boat shift under her as it began floating on the water. It swayed back and forth and Feldt's eyebrows shot up as the canoe lurched suddenly. She grabbed onto the sides as she looked over her shoulder to see Lyle lifting his leg over the side to get in. The boat rocked back and forth heavily as the sniper pulled himself up into his seat and Feldt let out a sigh when it stopped moving so erratically.

"There we go," Lyle said proudly, "How's everyone else…" he trailed off when he saw Tieria's canoe dip sharply to the side.

"What are you doing?!" Marie cried as she leaned desperately in the direction opposite of the boat's motion to try and balance it out.

Water flowed over the side into the base of the canoe and Tieria let go of it with a huff, still standing knee deep in water. He let out a small grunt and pushed his glasses back up his nose from where they had fallen down.

"Come on Tieria, you're holding us up!" Allelujah called out as he started paddling from his position at the back of his canoe.

"I'm trying!" Tieria almost shouted with frustration evident in his voice.

Marie shook her head and threw her legs over the side; jumping out. She grabbed the canoe and dragged it back onto the shoreline and pointed at the front seat.

"Get in," she told Tieria.

"I'm not sitting in the front!" he replied with an offended look.

"You can't even get into the canoe, I'll take the rear and the steering," Marie told him.

Allelujah laughed, "Better listen to her Tieria, she'll get what she wants regardless."

Tieria let out an elegant snort and got into the canoe, sitting on the front bench. He scowled as Marie pushed the canoe into the water and skillfully pulled herself over the side onto the rear seat.

"Now we're ready," Lyle said in a relieved tone as he started to follow after the other two canoes that were already moving away from him down the river.

….

"Wow, that's beautiful!" Feldt exclaimed as she stared up at the mountains towering over her.

The peaks were hazy and their immense size left the pink haired girl with wide green eyes full of wonder. She looked over her shoulder to see Lyle paddling the boat with a cigarette dangling from his lips. Their boat trailed slightly behind the others but every once in a while Feldt could hear Marie barking orders at Tieria who apparently wasn't controlling the front of the canoe to her satisfaction.

"So tell me what happened last night," Lyle suddenly broke the silence, "I'm curious."

Feldt tensed as she stroked on the left side of the canoe and then switched to the right, dragging the wooden paddle through the river water.

"Why?"

"Because you seem pretty upset about it… and Setsuna is acting weird," Lyle replied and added, "Well, weirder than he usually acts."

Feldt sighed and listened to the water moving around the canoe as they traveled. She wanted to forget about it and pretend that nothing happened. As the day progressed she felt worse because it was evident that Setsuna was avoiding any type of contact with her. Did he really find her that deplorable?

"Tell me about it," Lyle pushed, "I'll tell you if you should be feeling bad about it or if it's all that kid's fault."

The systems engineer swallowed dryly and began her story where Setsuna had taken her to the restroom after she had consumed several drinks. Feldt talked quietly and was cautious about the others being able to hear her. Lyle leaned forward slightly in his seat and listened with an interested expression. Time passed and Feldt paused when she noticed there was a sharp bend in the river ahead of them.

"I'll give you my thoughts in a minute," Lyle smiled from behind her, "But now we've got to have a little fun."

Feldt froze as she saw rocks poking out of the river's surface and water crashing against them with white spray. She looked over her shoulder at Lyle who was grinning.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to let us tip," he reassured her as he spat his cigarette into the bottom of the canoe and stomped on it with the heel of his shoe.

"Tieria, steer _away_ from the rock!" Feldt could hear Marie exclaiming.

"I'm not doing _anything_!" he growled back.

"That's the problem!"

Allelujah's laugh echoed through the air and Feldt saw him swerving around the rocks, working in smooth harmony with Setsuna. They weaved around the rocks and twisted into the bend with no difficulty into calm water. Allelujah turned in his seat to watch the others and Setsuna couldn't help but look as well.

"Let's go," Lyle said as he started moving the paddle with powerful strokes and the canoe picked up speed.

In seconds they were next to Tieria and Marie.

"Come on Tieria, get with it!" Lyle joked.

Tieria frowned and lifted his paddle, slicing it harshly into the river. Water shot up and hit the other pair. Feldt let out a yelp and tried to shield herself to no avail and Lyle let out a grunt. Water dripped down the sniper's nose and his blue eyes were blazing.

"You want to mess around, do you?" he asked as he leaned over with an outstretched arm to the other canoe.

"Lockon! Don't!" Marie shouted as he grabbed the side of their canoe and began rocking it.

His drastic motion caused his and Feldt's canoe to rock as well and she held on for dear life as the two canoes both got caught in the quick moving water.

"Lyle! There are rocks!" Feldt exclaimed as she wiped dripping water from her forehead that was coming off of her soaked pink hair.

Tieria gritted his teeth as the canoe swayed underneath him and he heard a rock scrape the bottom of the metal skin. He began swatting his paddle repeatedly into the water so a continuous spray was pelting the other boat. Feldt let out a scream and Lyle released a growl as he pulled back and started steering the canoe out of trouble.

"Bastard," Lyle spat as he swerved around several jagged rocks and turned his sights back to Tieria and Marie.

"Lyle, don't do it," Feldt suddenly said as she realized they were headed straight for the other canoe.

The sniper's brown hair was dark and heavy with water as he pushed his canoe quickly toward the other boat as they rounded the bend to catch up with Allelujah and Setsuna. Marie looked over her shoulder and her golden eyes grew wide as she saw Feldt's terrified face coming closer by the second.

"They're going to ram us!" Marie exclaimed as she started paddling as quickly as she could.

"Tch!" Tieria spat out as he began helping her, their canoe picking up speed.

They blew by Allelujah and Setsuna who were sitting still and Lyle and Feldt's canoe followed in close pursuit. The water was calm again and the group was on another straight section of the river. Feldt was biting her lip and gasped as she realized she couldn't take it anymore.

"Lyle don't!" she told him again desperately.

The pink haired girl saw that the canoe showed no sign of slowing down and she spun in her seat; reaching out for the paddle in Lyle's hands. The sniper's blue eyes grew wide at her sudden change in position as she started to stand. Feldt opened her hand to grab at the paddle and realized too late that her movements were detrimental to the canoe's balance. Her fingers encircled the wooden paddle and she fell in Lyle's lap as the canoe dipped sharply to the side, throwing them both out and flipping over.

As Feldt hit the water she felt arms encircle her tightly. The sound of bubbles and splashing played strongly in her ears as she sank under the water. She was pulled roughly against what she assumed was Lyle's chest as she held her breath tightly. Feldt could feel herself being pulled upward and her head broke the surface of the water. She gasped and let out a cough; squinting her eyes. She kicked her feet and realized that they didn't touch the bottom of the river. She instinctively wrapped her arms around Lyle's waist to stay afloat.

"You two okay?" Allelujah asked as he and Setsuna floated by the pair slowly.

The water was over Lyle's shoulders and he let out a laugh, "Yeah, I think so."

"I'm okay," Feldt answered and gazed up with a flutter in her chest.

She held onto the man in front of her tightly and her body was pressed against his. She felt embarrassed and looked over at Setsuna with red cheeks. The black haired meister stared at her with blank eyes devoid of emotion and she cringed.

"You're kind of short aren't you?" Lyle asked Feldt in amusement as he realized she was unable to touch the river bottom.

"I'm so sorry," Feldt blurted out, "It's all my fault this happened!"

Lyle kept one arm around her waist and reached for the capsized canoe; flipping it back over with a strong push.

"Don't worry about it, I'm going to lift you in, okay?"

Feldt gasped as he lifted her up suddenly so she was sitting on his shoulder and his arms were wrapped around her lower legs. She reached out unsteadily and grabbed the side of the canoe.

"Hang on," Allelujah called as his canoe pulled up onto the other side of Feldt, "I'll hold it steady while you get in."

"Setsuna, give the lady a hand," Lyle called out as he lifted Feldt up a bit higher.

The black haired meister said nothing and held a hand out which Feldt grabbed tightly. She stepped into the canoe and sat down on the front seat with a relieved sigh.

"Lockon?" Allelujah questioned as he stared at the sniper's head that was out of the water.

"We're not lifting you," Setsuna stated seriously.

"Thanks for the support," Lyle replied with a hint of sarcasm.

Feldt stared down from her spot at the older meister and smiled at his laid back nature. There wasn't much that could rattle Lyle, that was for sure.

"At least hold it steady," Lyle told Allelujah and Setsuna as he grabbed the side of the canoe in preparation to pull himself up.

The other pair obliged and Feldt held her hands up, unsure of how she could help him.

"That's what you get for acting like an idiot," Tieria said from a few yards away.

Lyle took a deep breath and with a powerful pull he yanked his body over the side of the canoe. Water poured from his soaked clothing into the base of the boat and he let out a sigh of achievement.

"Lockon… where's your paddle at?" Allelujah asked.

The sniper stared down at the moving river water and cursed, "Damn it, it's on the bottom."

Feldt squeezed the paddle in her hands grateful that hers had remained in the boat.

"Setsuna, you should get it for me," Lyle said suggestively.

"Not a chance," Setsuna stated bluntly.

Feldt let out a sigh, "I'll do it."

"Feldt? No, you don't need to, your feet don't even touch the bottom," Lyle shook his head.

She glanced over at the soaked man behind her, "It's not a big deal, I can swim. Plus it will be easier for me to get back in then it will be for you since you're bigger."

"She's got you there," Allelujah shrugged.

Lyle huffed and spoke, "Okay, but at least let me help you-"

There was a splash and Lyle's blue eyes grew wide as he saw the empty seat where Feldt had been sitting and the bubbles coming from the water below.

A grin spread across his features and he laughed, "What a girl!"

…..

The canoeing adventure ended later that day when the group finally made it back to their starting point. All of them were thoroughly exhausted and were dragging their feet when they got back into the waiting van.

"I'm going to be so sore tomorrow," Marie said tiredly as she sat down heavily in her seat.

"I think we all will be," Allelujah agreed.

Tieria crossed his arms tightly over his chest, "Well that took the entire day."

"Come on guys, quit giving me a hard time," Lyle told them, "I didn't know I'd be babysitting five other people when I decided to come back here."

"I think you're doing a great job," Marie told him honestly, "I'm not complaining at all."

Feldt nodded, "She's right."

The sky was growing dim and the van moved along down the road leading back to Killarney. It was silent and Feldt felt her eyelids growing heavy as the movement of the vehicle lulled her into a sleepy state. Her muscles were exhausted and she wanted to take a hot bath to soak.

The group arrived back in the city and went for a quick dinner which was short lived as most of them wanted to get back to their rooms to relax after a trying day. When Lyle and Feldt arrived back at their room the Irishman took a fast shower and put on fresh clothes, announcing he'd be going out to pub crawl. Feldt couldn't believe he still had the energy to do such a thing and said farewell to him when he left the room. She started the water and ran herself a steaming hot bath that she soaked in for around an hour before finding the strength to get out. She walked to her suitcase while drying her hair with the towel and saw it was dark outside.

"I'm going to see what's going on downstairs," Feldt mumbled as she put on a shirt and shorts that would be easy to get off when she returned to put her night clothes on.

She descended the carpeted stairs to see a sign pointing in the direction of the hotel bar. Feldt followed the arrow and saw that the large room had a sizable amount of people enjoying drinks at the bar or at the surrounding tables. The systems engineer wondered if any of her friends were there when her breath caught in her throat as her eyes landed on the far side of the bar.

"Setsuna…" she whispered to herself as the chatter of people filled the dim room.

The black haired meister sat by himself on one of the bar stools with a frown on his face as he accepted the drink that the bartender brought him with a nod. Feldt's legs moved of their own accord and she made her way toward him. This was the perfect opportunity to talk to him with no one around and she wasn't going to let it pass her by; if she did she'd regret it. He noticed her approach and visibly tensed.

"Setsuna," she said, "Do you mind…" the pink haired girl looked at the empty stool next to him.

Setsuna opened his mouth like he was going to say something quickly and then sighed, uttering a, "No."

Feldt's heart pounded in her chest and she swallowed dryly as she sat down next to him. She subconsciously reached up and messed with her damp hair nervously.

"Did you need something?" Setsuna asked lowly, without looking at her.

"I need to talk to you," Feldt said quickly, "About last night, it's been bothering me."

"It's nothing, don't worry about it," Setsuna told her.

"But I _am_ worried," she told him with urgent eyes, "You've avoided me all day and won't even look at me. I feel like I've done something to make you really upset."

Setsuna lifted his glass again and took a large gulp as his discomfort grew, "What you did was… sudden."

Feldt leaned toward him with big green eyes, "I know, and I'm sorry! I should have never done that, but I wasn't in my right mind. I would never force myself on you like that."

Setsuna shook his head, "You didn't force yourself on me," he told her.

"Aren't you upset?"

"No."

"Then why are you acting this way?" Feldt questioned, gaining courage.

"I don't know how to act about it," he told her seriously.

"Setsuna, I like you!" she blurted, "I wish you could see that."

"Feldt…" Setsuna trailed off warily.

Sadness filled the young girl's eyes and she stared down at her hands, "I know you don't feel the same way about me, but I thought you should know how I felt so it's all out in the open."

"But you and Lockon," Setsuna said slowly.

"Neil's dead Setsuna!" Feldt said in exasperation, "He was my first love but I can't keep living in the past, I've moved on."

Setsuna shook his head, "I'm referring to Lyle."

"Lyle and I are just friends," Feldt told him.

"But the way he talks and acts toward you…" Setsuna trailed off, "No, it's none of my business."

Feldt squeezed her fists in frustration, "You're being hard headed, there's nothing for you to know because there isn't anything there."

As soon as the words left her mouth Feldt knew she was lying. It was true that she and Lyle were just friends at the moment but it was obvious that there was potential for something more. Lyle could make her heart pound and her mouth go dry just like Setsuna could.

"A relationship would only get in the way of our true objective as Celestial Being," Setsuna said tightly.

Feldt gasped as she felt like someone was plunging a dagger through her heart. She knew that he didn't feel the same as her, but to say that she just be in the way was cruel.

Feldt took a deep breath, trying to control her emotions, "I understand Setsuna, I'll leave you alone now."

The young meister watched her unsteadily slide off of the stool and begin walking away from him. He reached up and grabbed a handful of his black hair and squeezed tightly. He was so bad when it came to these types of things and he definitely had not meant what he just said; his words had failed him.

….

Lyle entered the room around one in the morning and his eyebrows rose in surprise when he saw that Feldt was still awake. He closed the door behind him and paused when he saw that her face was red and stained with tears.

"What's wrong?" he asked her with concern.

Feldt sniffed, "I talked to Setsuna."

Lyle clenched his jaw, "I should have guessed it was him… I'll go beat some sense into the little bastard."

Feldt's green eyes widened in shock as Lyle turned and grabbed the door knob roughly, "No!" she cried out, "It's okay, really."

"What did he do to you?"

"He didn't do anything, we talked, it's not his fault. I knew how he felt but I let my own emotions get in the way," Feldt said.

"Aw man," Lyle rubbed the back of his neck and threw the room key on the table, "Tell me what he said."

Feldt sat back in surprise when Lyle approached her bed and sat down so he was facing her with his legs crossed.

"Have at it," he nodded at her.

"I don't want to pester you with my problems," Feldt said quietly.

"You aren't pestering me, I want to know, it'll eat you up inside if you keep quiet."

Feldt sighed and told him the entire story from beginning to finish. She ran her fingers through her clean pink hair as she talked and her red eyes stared off to the side with emotion. When she finished tears welled in her eyes again and she let out a cry as she buried her face in her hands.

"I should have left him alone, he has much more important things to worry about rather than something like this."

Lyle shook his head, "So you're saying Allelujah shouldn't worry about Marie? That I shouldn't have bothered having a relationship with Anew? You're crazy, you've just picked a tough guy to crack."

"I'm finished, I'm going to leave him alone. There's no need to bother him with my feelings anymore because he doesn't return them. It's not his fault if he doesn't like me back, so I don't hold anything against him," Feldt explained.

"Such a stupid kid," Lyle muttered under his breath.

"He thought there was something between us," Feldt suddenly said.

Lyle glanced up in surprise, "He what?"

Feldt shrugged, "He was under the impression we were together."

Lyle let out a small laugh, "He's a paranoid little guy, isn't he? See, he's jealous."

Feldt gave him a small smile, "I don't know about that…"

"You and I are a lot alike you know that?" Lyle stated with a serious look.

Feldt stared at him with a shocked look and he continued, "Think about it, if my brother was still alive you'd be with him, and if Anew was still alive I'd be with her. But here we both are, alone and wishing for people of the past to come back."

Thoughts of Neil flooded Feldt and more tears surged forth as she thought of the fallen Gundam meister. Lyle let out a sigh and reached forward, embracing the girl in front of him who was wracked with sobs.

"Shoot, I said the wrong thing didn't I? Sorry about that."

Feldt wrapped her arms around the second Lockon Stratos and squeezed him tightly. Lyle reached up and stroked her hair lightly until moments passed and her cries slowed.

"Are you okay?" he asked as she pulled back and looked up at him with watering green eyes.

Lyle blinked down at her and in that moment realized that she was such an admirable young woman. She was fighting to survive in memory of his brother and her other comrades who had been killed in action. He wished she could be happy and live without so much anguish. Lyle also knew that Anew would have wanted him to be happy and the sniper let out a huff at the idea currently brewing in the back of his mind. They were both so similar, would it be wrong for them to turn to one another? The girl in his arms let out another sniff and he looked down at the top of her pink head.

"Feldt…" he trailed off in a low voice.

She looked up at him wordlessly with doe eyes and they stared at each other for several seconds without blinking. Feldt could feel Lyle's muscles tighten in his back and he turned his head to the side with a 'tch'.

"Lyle?" she whispered his name.

The sniper started to pull away, "No, I'm not going to do something we could both regret later."

Feldt unwrapped her arms from him and sat back with a downcast expression, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get in your space like that."

Lyle shook his head, "It's not like that Feldt, I don't want you to do something you'll look back on and wish you hadn't. I know you liked my brother and I'm not going to play substitute for him."

Feldt gave him a weak smile, "I don't think you're like your brother at all Lyle, now that I've gotten to know you you're a lot different. You two have a few things in common though, you're both kind hearted and care deeply about your friends."

"I'll be honest, I haven't thought about another woman since Anew, she was everything for me and we understood each other," Lyle said seriously, "But I feel like I can relax when I'm with you and you make me laugh."

"What are you saying?" Feldt barely whispered.

Lyle shrugged with a smile, "I'm saying we might have something here, as I've said before, I'm not one to live in the past, and you shouldn't be either. You can't bring back my brother and I can't bring back Anew."

"I don't want to be a replacement for Anew," Feldt said, "It's not fair to me or you."

Lyle glanced at the clock and saw it was close to two in the morning. He took a deep breath and leaned his chin onto the palm of his hand.

"I never compared you to Anew, you aren't her, just like I'm not Neil, we both have an understanding of that right?"

Feldt nodded slowly, "But I'm so much younger, doesn't that bother you?"

Lyle let out a laugh, "I'm still a young lad at heart, and I'm not _that _old, am I?"

Feldt smiled, "I guess not."

"What do you say?" Lyle suddenly asked and held out his hand.

The pink haired girl stared at the gloved hand and then glanced back up at the Irishman who was looking at her with his bright blue eyes. Shakily she reached up and placed her palm over his with a nervous exhale.

Lyle grinned, "Now that that's taken care of," he said as he came toward her quickly.

Feldt fell back, her head hitting the pillow and her green eyes wide. Lyle brought his hand to his mouth and grabbed his glove with his teeth and pulled it off swiftly. He yanked the other glove off as well and threw it over his shoulder. Feldt shivered when he ran his bare hands over her soft pink hair and she started breathing shallowly.

"If you want me to stop," Lyle said lowly in her ear as he started kissing her neck, "Say the word and I will."

Feldt gulped, "O-okay."

"I'm going to make you forget all about Setsuna," Lyle grinned against her skin, "I'll be the only one on your mind from here on out."

**A/N: WOW! I can't believe I wrote this monster! Now I have to scroll all the way to the top to read through it… here we go! Reviews are nice :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you to SP00K, Gundam00-nut, and rijeayko! Your reviews are much appreciated!**

**The Ring of Kerry, which will be what our favorite main characters are seeing in this chapter, is probably the most beautiful scenic route in Ireland. It has its own roads just for tourists because it's so popular. You can Google image Ring of Kerry and see for yourself! **

**Onto Day three :)**

**Even though I should be studying… Here's another massive chapter, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam00 or any of its characters!**

Feldt woke up feeling warm and secure. Her green eyes opened slowly and she saw the dim red rays of the sun shining in the window as it started to rise. She looked to Lyle's bed and saw that it was neatly made. The pink haired girl felt something tighten around her waist and her eyes popped open as she realized why she felt so warm and cozy. Lyle was still asleep behind her and her back was pressed against his chest as he had his arm wrapped around her possessively. She had on her top and shorts to her pajamas and it was obvious that Lyle didn't have a shirt on as she felt his skin against hers. Feldt let out a sigh and couldn't help but feel content as the birds began chirping outside in the morning light. She didn't regret a thing she did the previous night and was truly appreciative that Lyle hadn't forced her to do anything she didn't want to. The pair hadn't gone all the way but Feldt had experienced feelings she had never known were possible. The man behind her had thoroughly explored her body and patiently allowed her to do the same to him. Feldt had been extremely nervous because she had never been with or seen a man that way before, but Lyle didn't seem to care; allowing her to move at her own pace and figure things out.

Feldt leaned back and turned her head so she was staring right at Lyle's face where his eyes were closed; his mouth curved into a small smile. She marveled at how peaceful he looked asleep and reached down, grabbing his arm to pull it tighter around her. She inhaled deeply, taking in his masculine scent which made her heart skip a beat. Feldt's thoughts drifted to the others and her stomach developed a small knot. What was she going to say and how were they going to act in front of everyone else after having such an intimate encounter. The pink haired girl was happy that they hadn't had sex, but in the heat of the moment last night she would have probably done anything. She was extremely thankful that Lyle had the mind to cut it off when he did. The meister stirred behind her and she heard him let out a small groan as he woke up. Feldt turned to look at him, their noses almost touching and she smiled at his sleepy blue eyes.

"Good morning," she said in a quiet voice, suddenly feeling shy about the position they were in.

Lyle unwrapped his arm from her waist and sat up; stretching his long arms over his head. Feldt stared at the muscles in his chest which flexed as he let out a yawn.

"Good morning yourself," he said with a sloppy smile as he ran his hand through his messy brown hair.

Feldt sat up slowly and clutched at the sheets which were still over her legs, "What are we doing today?"

"Something you'll definitely enjoy. I know you liked the scenery yesterday when we were on the river, but today I'm going to show you some sights that will definitely take your breath away."

Feldt's eyes widened as she started to feel excited, and it wasn't because she'd be seeing pretty sights. She suddenly realized that she didn't care what they'd be doing; all she cared about was getting to spend the day with the man next to her.

"I'm going to take a shower before we head down," Lyle said as he got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom.

Feldt nodded and then her jaw dropped slightly as she saw that Lyle didn't bother to close the door. The sniper leaned over the bathtub and turned the water on with another yawn before reaching for the waistband of the sleep pants he was wearing.

"Lyle!" Feldt exclaimed and he turned around with an innocent expression.

"Too soon?" he joked.

Feldt nodded up and down quickly and Lyle let out a laugh before closing the door. The room was peaceful and all Feldt could hear were the sounds of the birds and the running water coming from the bathroom. She let out a small yawn herself and decided to pick out what she was going to wear that day. After a little bit Lyle emerged from the bathroom, still wet with a towel wrapped around his waist. Feldt's thoughts flashed back to the first time she saw him emerge from the steamy bathroom. She stared at the meister who walked over to his bag and sifted through the clothing inside. Her mouth watered slightly and she couldn't believe she had the undeniable want for him to touch her like he had last night.

"Feldt…" Lyle called over his shoulder in amusement, knowing she was watching him, "Focus."

Feldt's cheeks instantly lit up and she reached out, snatching her suitcase roughly. As she grabbed what she was wearing for the day out she frowned.

"How many nights are we staying here?"

Lyle paused and looked over his shoulder at her, water running down his nose, "Tonight will be the last night."

Feldt nodded, "I see, then we're going somewhere else?"

"Up north," Lyle replied, "Things can get a little sketchy up there, so you definitely don't want to be wandering the streets alone… especially someone like you."

Feldt frowned again, she really liked where they were at now. It was peaceful and all of the people seemed to be very friendly.

"Don't worry about it too much, we won't have any problems, trust me," he reassured her.

"What's up there? Is there a reason we're going there?"

Lyle grabbed his towel as the knot loosened and it started to slide down his waist, he glanced up at the ceiling, "I wasn't going to go up there, but when I found out all of you were coming, I figured I should show you _all_ of Ireland even though the north technically isn't part of the rest of the country."

"It's part of the United Kingdom isn't it?" Feldt asked.

"Right, it's also where I went off to school when I left the house."

Feldt paused, "Your boarding school is in the north?"

"Sure is," Lyle nodded, "Belfast."

"Wow…" Feldt trailed off.

"We're going to be staying in Derry for a couple of nights. Belfast can be a bit of a hot zone and I don't want to run into any trouble. Derry's got a real nice hotel we're headed to anyway."

Feldt gave the sniper a smile, "I'm sure it will be great."

"We aren't done in Killarney yet though, we've got a lot to see today and then this evening… we party," Lyle winked.

Feldt's eyebrows shot up, "No way! I can't drink like that again."

Lyle shook his head, "I'm not taking you guys to a bar, we're going to a nightclub… the nightlife in this city is incredible and it would be a shame to skip out on it."

"We're going to be dancing?" Feldt questioned, "I'm not really good at that."

"Ah, don't worry about it, no one will care because most of them will be plastered. It's a fun way to close out our time here."

Feldt thought about the other members of the group, "Tieria and Setsuna…"

Lyle was halfway across the room, almost back at the bathroom with his clothes in hand when he paused.

"What about them?"

"They're not going to do something like that."

Lyle shrugged, "Whatever, I don't care, they can stay here if they want, but we're going out."

Feldt smiled at the way he said _we're_ because it made her feel like he really wanted to spend time with her. Her mind started buzzing until she stared down at her suitcase, wondering what on earth she was going to wear that night. Whatever it was, it had to be cute because technically this was going to be a date of some sort, wasn't it?

….

"So we're spending the entire day in the car?" Tieria asked with a frown as the group drove along out in the country.

"Not _all _day, we're going to stop for lunch and for some fresh air here and there," Lyle replied.

Feldt was once again in the passenger seat. Setsuna and Tieria were in the two middle seats with Allelujah and Marie in the back. The mountains began to grow taller with sharper peaks and the grass seemed to turn a more vivid green. Feldt stared out the window with large green eyes as the scenery grew more beautiful by the second. She looked over her shoulder at Lyle for a second and the sniper glanced at her, winking a blue eye quickly. The pink haired girl faced the window quickly again; a blush rising on her cheeks. The sun was out over Ireland that day which was quite rare but made all of the surroundings crystal clear. Feldt let out a gasp as there was a break in the mountains and suddenly all she could see was ocean. The water stretched all the way until the horizon where it appeared to continue on forever.

"That's almost too overwhelming," Marie spoke up as she stared out her window in the back.

"It's beautiful," Allelujah added as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"See, I told you guys this wouldn't be pointless," Lyle spoke with a smile.

Tieria let out a huff and Setsuna was silent as Feldt pointed directly at Lyle. He turned to her with a bizarre expression.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm not pointing at you… look at all of the sheep," she said, leaning to the side to see around him.

There were rolling green pastures where sheep were roaming freely munching on grass.

"Why have they been marked like that?" Setsuna spoke up in a serious tone as he eyed the passing animals.

"Ah, the farmers mark all of their sheep with their own color and spot on the body, that way they can easily tell if there's a sheep in the herd that doesn't belong," Lyle replied with a shrug.

"Interesting…" Setsuna trailed off slowly as he continued to stare out the window.

"They don't have fences here do they?" Feldt asked.

"Depends on where you go, out here not really, they use dry stone where they take rocks and stack them without mortar," Lyle answered.

"That must be hard," Feldt noted and added, "The whole thing would fall over if I tried to do that."

They drove on and after a while they pulled over to the side of the road next to a rocky beach that led down to waves that were lapping up and down on the sand.

"Let's take a small breather," Lyle said as he turned the ignition off and hopped out of the van.

Feldt opened her door and instantly felt the salty breeze blowing in from the ocean. Her pink hair whipped around her head and her pupils grew large as she stared out at the never ending sea. There was a bit of a slope to get down to the rocky sand and Feldt followed after Allelujah and Marie. She glanced over her shoulder to see Lyle, Tieria, and Setsuna standing at the top of the hill. Tieria crossed his arms as Lyle lit a cigarette and Setsuna frowned. The pink haired girl turned back around and headed after the pair in front of her.

"Look at that!" Marie said with a wowed face.

"Well it's definitely more entertaining than space," Allelujah shrugged.

Marie gave him a small punch in the side, "It's much better than that, admit it."

Allelujah let out a laugh, "Yeah, okay, it's pretty gorgeous."

Feldt folded her hands over her heart as the breeze blew around her. She stared out at the open water and felt as though she was standing at the edge of the world. Neil crossed her mind quickly and she wondered if he had ever stood and stared at the ocean like she was in that moment. As her thoughts drifted, Feldt jumped as she noticed someone standing next to her suddenly. She looked over to see Setsuna who was wearing a small frown.

"Setsuna?" she asked him quietly.

"I wanted to apologize," Setsuna said lowly, his eyes staring straight forward.

"For what?"

"What I said to you when we were at the hotel bar, I didn't mean that," he explained in a tight voice.

Feldt let out a sigh of relief, "I'm glad you aren't upset with me, I didn't want things to be tense between us."

"I'm not mad at you," Setsuna said in a hushed voice, his chestnut eyes trailing down to his shoes that were standing on the rocky sand.

"We're friends right?" Feldt suddenly asked.

Setsuna's eyebrows rose in surprise, "But I thought…"

Feldt shook her head, "I understand that Celestial Being and being the embodiment of a Gundam is the most important thing to you. I hope that we can be friends."

Setsuna squeezed his fists tightly and his jaw visibly tensed, "Friends…"

"Setsuna, what's wrong?" Feldt asked him with a concerned expression.

The black haired meister looked as though he was going to say something but then he paused and shook his head, "It's nothing."

"Alright guys, let's get going!" Lyle's voice floated down from the top of the hill to them.

Feldt swung around and then glanced back at Setsuna with a worried expression. She started to reach for him and then stopped herself as she realized she needed to give him his space. Feldt bit the inside of her cheek and started striding up the hill without looking back. She finally glanced up to see Lyle looking down at her with a questioning expression on his face. The pink haired girl walked straight up to the sniper and stopped; staring up at him with big green eyes. Lyle gave her a smile and put his hand on top of her head with a soft expression.

"Are you okay?" he asked her in a low voice.

Allelujah and Marie were slowly making their way back while Setsuna still seemed to be rooted to the spot he had been standing on. Tieria glanced at the pair beside him with upraised delicate eyebrows.

"I'm fine," Feldt told the Irishman honestly, "There's just a lot I'm taking in at the moment."

Lyle's blue eyes shot to the group members making their way up the hill and to Tieria who seemed to be looking off in another direction. The sniper leaned down quickly and placed a kiss on Feldt's forehead.

He pulled back and gave her a warm smile, "You can tell me about it later."

Feldt reached out and grabbed the sleeve of his jacket as he removed his hand from her head. She squeezed the fabric between her fingers and then let go quickly as she heard footsteps approaching behind her. Feldt swung around to see Allelujah and Marie with Setsuna trailing after them. She let out a sigh and crossed her arms over her chest with a pensive expression. A small smile spread across Tieria's lips as he watched the girl. He was amused that the pair thought they were being sneaky when he had easily stood there and witnessed their exchange. The group gathered up and got back into the van to continue on their way.

…..

The day rolled by and Feldt could see Killarney materializing in the distance as they returned to their hotel. They had seen some breathtaking sights and stopped at a seaside café for lunch during the early afternoon. Hours passed and now the sky was becoming dim as the sun started to dip lower in the sky. Overall, Feldt thought it had been a satisfying day especially since she was still quite sore from canoeing the day before. She swallowed as they drove into the city and she remembered what they would be doing that night. She wanted to have some fun, but wasn't sure how she should act around Lyle with the others watching. The van pulled up in front of the hotel and halted; the engine cutting off. Feldt opened her door and watched as the others got out. She quickly approached Allelujah and Marie with a small frown.

"What's up Feldt?" Allelujah asked as he noticed the look on her face.

"We're going to a nightclub tonight," Feldt started and paused.

Allelujah blinked and looked down at Marie with a growing smile on his face, "That sounds like fun."

Feldt nodded slowly, "I think it will be too, but I wanted to ask Marie about what she was going to wear. I'm not really good at picking out clothes for things like this, Christina was always the one who helped me…" she trailed off with a quiet voice.

Allelujah let out a sigh as he watched the girl in front of him. He knew that the death of the first Lockon Stratos, Christina, and Lichty were still open wounds in her heart that were trying to slowly heal. Marie gave the pink haired girl a soft smile and placed a gentle hand on her arm.

"I'm not very good at it either, but we can work together and figure something out, how does that sound?"

Feldt looked up at Marie's golden eyes and she smiled, "Okay, I'd like that."

…

"Lockon, you need to leave."

Lyle stared at the two girls who were facing him in his shared hotel room. He glanced at the door where Allelujah was leaning on the frame with an amused expression.

"Why do I have to leave? This is _my_ room too," the sniper said as he folded his arms.

"We can't have a guy watch us trying on clothes," Feldt spoke lowly, her eyes going to the floor.

Lyle let out a laugh, "Why not? I could easily tell you both if what you have on is flattering or not."

Allelujah's eyebrow twitched and he walked into the room and grabbed Lyle by the collar of his jacket. Lyle's eyebrows shot up in surprise as Allelujah gave him a tug and started to pull him to the door.

"Getting kicked out of my own room, how cruel," Lyle pouted as he swatted Allelujah's hand away.

The two girls ignored him and continued talking about the possible things they could wear.

"Although I don't like to suggest it because I'm not a fan… we could go out and shop for something," Feldt told Marie.

The super soldier nodded, "That's not a bad idea, we could have dinner while we're out too."

"You're headed out?" Allelujah asked.

Marie turned to him, "I think so."

"I'll meet you back here later then," he told her and added, "Be careful."

Marie gave him a smile and nodded as Lyle watched Feldt with his bright blue eyes. She glanced up at him hesitantly, feeling embarrassed as he gave her a wink.

"You be careful too Feldt, don't go wandering into a dark alley by yourself or something stupid."

Feldt's cheeks blushed slightly and her eyes shot to the floor, "I won't!"

….

After Marie and Feldt ate dinner they headed off to the inner city to the shops which lined the streets. They went into and left a few stores before finding one that had clothes they actually deemed to be what they were looking for.

"I'm exhausted already," Feldt said with a small smile, "Shopping was never my thing. Christina always forced me to go with her."

"I was never exposed to it," Marie stated, "We all wore the same thing in the institute, and as a soldier I wore the uniform designated to me."

Feldt nodded as she looked through a line of clothes that were hanging in front of her. The two girls eventually both stumbled upon something they liked and decided to purchase it. They walked out the front of the store to see that it was dark outside and the street lamps were glowing brightly to illuminate the sidewalks where there were people bustling about.

"Tonight will be fun," Marie stated with a small smile as they made their way back to the hotel.

Feldt nodded in agreement when she suddenly let out a gasp as something roughly yanked her off of the sidewalk onto a narrow cobblestone road between buildings. She tried to cry out when a strong hand mashed itself over her lips. Feldt dropped her bag and squirmed in her attacker's grasp; her eyes full of panic. She stared out at the main street where people walked by and tried to make her way to the light of the sidewalk but to no avail. Her attacker dragged her slowly into the darkness of the alleyway and tears welled in the young girl's eyes.

…..

"Feldt?" Marie said out loud, pausing to see that the pink haired girl was no longer trailing after her.

The super soldier turned in a full circle and stared skeptically at the hotel in front of her.

"There's no way she got around me and went inside already…" she trailed off as she noticed Setsuna walk out the front doors in her direction.

"Where's Feldt?" he asked.

Marie gave him a worried frown, "I'm not sure, she was with me a few minutes ago, and she suddenly disappeared."

Setsuna clenched his jaw and brushed by the girl, pointing ahead, "Is this the way you came from?"

Marie nodded as she watched the black haired meister start jogging down the sidewalk through the crowds of people walking. She blinked and swung around to chase after him. Marie darted in and out of the people moving down the side of the street and kept catching glimpses of Setsuna's back. A pit formed in her gut and she grimaced. If Feldt was hurt it would be her fault.

Setsuna scowled as he pushed people out of the way. A few shot nasty words in his direction but the Krugis meister ignored them. He looked down every alley he could and let out a small growl of frustration. With the sun down and the street lamps blazing, it made seeing down the narrow side streets nearly impossible. Finally he paused when he saw the outline of something on the ground in the shadows between buildings. Setsuna slowly approached the object to see that it was a bag; identical to the one Marie had been carrying. He paused as he heard the rustling of clothes coming from the blackness in front of him and narrowed his chestnut eyes as the muffled sound of a girl crying out met his ears. Setsuna immediately charged forward and spotted the outline of three figures struggling.

"Feldt!" Setsuna shouted as he grabbed the collar of the man's shirt who was holding her against the wall.

As her assailant was ripped from her she let out heaving breaths as she was finally able to breathe again. Tears were running down her cheeks and she watched as the two men turned on Setsuna. Feldt couldn't see the meister's face in the darkness but could tell by the way he was standing that he wasn't intimidated. The two attackers charged him and Setsuna disabled each of them one by one until they were both on the ground cowering in fear. The black haired meister stared down at them with flashing angry eyes until the two men decided to try for an escape. Setsuna stepped forward to go after them but Feldt ran up to him, grabbing him from behind as tears flowed freely.

"Setsuna! Don't do it, please!" she cried, clinging to him tightly.

"I should shoot both of them," Setsuna stated dryly, his body tense.

"You rescued me and we're both safe, that's all that matters," Feldt told him.

Setsuna slowly turned and Feldt let go of him; staring up at his darkened features in the dim light.

"Are you hurt?"

Feldt shook her head, "I'm fine… a little shaken up, but okay."

Setsuna nodded and Feldt turned as she heard Marie calling her name; racing in her direction.

"Oh Feldt! What happened to you?! You scared me to death!" Marie exclaimed with a relieved face.

"A couple men tried to rob me," Feldt said as she shook her head, "But Setsuna rescued me just in time."

Marie sighed, "Thank goodness for that."

Feldt reached out as Marie handed over the dropped bag that contained her purchased clothes.

"Are you sure you still want to go tonight? That's a pretty traumatic experience… I wouldn't blame you for wanting to stay in your room to recover after that," Marie said with a look of worry.

The trio began walking out of the alley and back into the light where they could actually see each other's faces clearly.

Feldt smiled, "I'll be okay, I don't want to disappoint anyone."

"Like Lockon?" Marie asked with a small glint in her eye.

Feldt's eyes shot to the ground, "Among others."

"What are you doing?" Setsuna asked.

Marie paused and looked at the meister next to her, "Oh, you haven't been told yet? We're going to a club tonight since it's out last night in this city."

A frown made its way across Setsuna's lips, "A club…" he trailed off lowly.

"I know you probably don't want to go, but you're more than welcome," Feldt told him.

"There will be dancing, drinks, and music… lots of fun," Marie said with a smile, "I've never been to anything like that, so I'm kind of excited."

"I haven't either, I'll most likely end up embarrassing myself," Feldt spoke quietly.

They entered the hotel and Marie turned to Feldt, "I'm going to head up and change, I'll see you down here in a little bit."

Feldt nodded, "Okay."

Marie started walking up the carpeted stairs, leaving Feldt alone with Setsuna. She glanced over at him and noticed he was wearing a pensive expression.

"Thank you Setsuna," Feldt said suddenly as he turned to her with slightly widened eyes.

"It was nothing, I'm glad you're alright," he returned.

"Will I see you tonight?" she questioned.

Setsuna looked off to the side, "I'm not sure yet."

Feldt frowned, "You don't have to dance if you go… you can sit and have something to drink."

Setsuna let out a small huff, "I'll think about it."

Feldt gave him a small nod, "Alright, I'm going to head upstairs then."

Setsuna watched the pink haired girl go up the staircase with light steps and he let out a sigh. He really wasn't into the idea of watching a bunch of drunken partygoers dance on each other but since Feldt seemed to want him to go…

"Damn it all," he cursed lowly under his breath as he stabbed the button for the elevator and waited for it impatiently.

….

"Glad to see you finally made it back," Lyle said as Feldt closed the door to their room.

Lyle stared at her skeptically and then looked to her bag. He gave her a grin and walked toward her confidently. The sniper paused when he noticed dirt smudged all over the systems engineer's jacket.

"What did you get all over yourself?"

Feldt's jaw dropped slightly and her eyes shot to the floor. She had been hoping to avoid telling Lyle about the earlier incident because it made her look like she couldn't take care of herself. Lyle leaned down until he was eye to eye with her.

"What happened?" he questioned, his blue eyes not wavering from hers.

"It's nothing, I had a bit of an accident, but I'm fine," she told him.

Lyle made a 'tsking' noise and pushed Feldt backward until her back hit the wall of their room. She winced and the sniper's eyebrows shot up. Lyle reached out and spun her around so that her back was facing him and he grabbed the base of her shirt; yanking up the material.

"Where did you get these bruises?"

Feldt's green eyes widened in shock, she knew that the men had slammed her against the stone building hard, but she didn't expect to be bruised from it already.

"Feldt…" Lyle trailed off seriously.

The systems engineer let out a defeated sigh and Lyle stepped back; allowing her to walk over to the bed to sit down. He crossed his arms and watched her expectantly.

"You're going to think I'm a pain and that I can't take care of myself," Feldt mumbled.

Lyle made his way over to the pink haired girl and knelt down in front of her so she was looking down at him. He reached up and grabbed one of her hands resting on her lap; squeezing it.

"I don't think so… tell me," he said in a low voice.

"I did exactly what you told me not to, although not by choice," Feldt told him.

"You walked into a dark alley alone?" Lyle instantly asked with a look of surprise.

"Not by choice," Feldt repeated and began telling the man in front of her what happened.

Once she finished Lyle's face looked serious, "Those bastards, taking advantage of an innocent girl."

"I'm just glad Setsuna came when he did," Feldt spoke up, "It could have been worse."

"I should have gone with you two," Lyle said seriously, "Someone should have…"

"It's not your fault," Feldt told him as she felt him squeezing her hand harder.

"You could have been kidnapped, beaten, or worse," Lyle hissed out lowly as he stood up and walked across the room; looking out the window.

"Lyle, please," Feldt begged, "Don't let this ruin our night, I'm right here and I'm just fine."

Lyle let out a tense sigh and turned to face her, "I can't let you out of my sight? Can I?"

"That's exactly why I didn't want to tell you about it because I knew you'd feel that way."

The sniper shook his head, "I don't think you're a nuisance at all… you're a strong independent girl who can definitely take care of herself."

Feldt opened her mouth to speak but Lyle continued, "But, you're still a woman, and there are times when being independent isn't enough because independence can't protect you if someone is physically assaulting you."

Feldt frowned and nodded, "I guess you're right."

"I know I'm right and I'm glad you're okay," he said to her.

"Lyle…" Feldt trailed off.

The sniper let out a small chuckle as he turned around to face her with a smile, "Alright, I'm sick of this mood, let's cheer it up a little."

Feldt smiled back at him, "I'd like that."

Lyle was in front of the pink haired girl in seconds and he lifted her face to his own; placing a deep kiss on her lips. When he pulled back Feldt stared up at him with hazy eyes and grabbed the front of his jacket with her hands.

"We have to get downstairs soon," Feldt told him, "The others will be waiting."

"You need to clean up before we do that," he told her and nodded to the bathroom.

Feldt nodded as Lyle spoke again.

"Let's take a quick shower."

Feldt started to agree about needing a shower when her eyes popped open and she stared up at the older man. He looked down at her with an amused expression and laughed at her terrified expression.

"Still too soon?"

Feldt nodded wordlessly as Lyle began laughing heartily at her. He walked away from her and motioned to the bathroom.

"Go on, get cleaned up so we can head down."

Feldt gulped and scurried into the bathroom quickly; shutting the door loudly behind her. On the other side she let out a relieved sigh, she knew Lyle was joking, but there was a part of her that actually wanted to do things like that with him. Deep inside there was a part of her that wanted to go all the way with him, but there was another part that still cried out for her to go for Setsuna. Feldt let out a defeated huff, thinking about all of this made her head hurt.

…..

Feldt stared at herself in the bathroom mirror with a puzzled expression. Was this outfit a bit too much? She had decided to purchase a skirt which was slightly shorter than she would have liked, and wore a pink V-neck shirt as a top. Feldt scrutinized herself and hoped that the others wouldn't think she was too scantily dressed as her cleavage was also quite visible. She thought back to Christina and some of the outfits that she had worn which had been much more revealing than what the pink haired girl currently had on. Feldt ran her fingers through her long wavy hair that fell past her shoulders and she turned; staring at the closed bathroom door. She was incredibly nervous about letting the others see how she looked, especially Lyle. Feldt swallowed dryly and grabbed the door handle; twisting it with a rough swallow.

Lyle was sitting on his bed messing around with his phone when he heard the door open. His head shot up and his eyebrows rose in surprise as Feldt stepped out with a bashful expression. Lyle immediately stood and gave Feldt a charming smile. The pink haired girl stared down at the plain pumps she was wearing as the nervous feeling in her stomach grew.

"What are you acting so skittish about? You look great," Lyle said as he eyed her.

Feldt's head shot up and a blush spread over her cheeks, "Really?"

Lyle approached her and wrapped and arm around her shoulders, placing a kiss on the top of her head, "I wouldn't lie about that."

"I was afraid it was too much," Feldt mumbled, "But I didn't want to be too casual either."

"It's perfect," Lyle told her and added with a wink, "I'll have to keep my eye on you though… the other guys there tonight might try and steal you away."

Feldt's eyebrows shot up as his remark. Did he really think she looked _that _attractive? Would other men truly be looking at her? She shook the thoughts from her mind and realized that none of that mattered because all she wanted to do was have a good time with the one standing next to her.

Lyle pulled his arm from around her and grabbed the room key which was lying on the table. He shoved it into the pocket of his jeans and turned to look at Feldt.

"Let's get going," he nodded to the door as he opened it and motioned for her to go ahead.

"Did you talk to Tieria?" Feldt asked as the pair walked down the hallway.

Lyle huffed, "I did, but he didn't seem real into the idea, so I doubt if he'll show. I would have asked Setsuna, but apparently he was off rescuing you."

Feldt smiled meekly, "I told him about it."

"And?"

"He didn't seem into it either, but said he'd think about it."

Lyle shook his head, "Those two are the ones who need to relax more than anyone. Both of them are so uptight and tense all the time."

"I know how they feel though," Feldt said, "Christina would always try and get me to do things, but all I wanted to do was concentrate on my work."

"At least you're open to the idea," Lyle told her as they started walking down the staircase to the lobby.

Feldt glanced at the sniper and looked at the leather jacket he was sporting with a plain shirt underneath. She couldn't help but think how well the look suited him.

"Hey there, we were wondering when you'd show up," Allelujah said with a small toss of the head.

"Sorry," Lyle told him, "We got a little distracted."

Allelujah's eyebrows shot up, "Really…"

"Not like that!" Feldt immediately said with wide eyes.

Allelujah let out a laugh, "Oh, I see."

Feldt shook her head and turned to Marie who was wearing a knee length red dress that showed off her figure. The pink haired girl marveled at how pretty the super soldier looked.

"Feldt you look great," Marie smiled at her.

"Not as nice as you," Feldt said back, "That dress really suits you."

"I said the same thing, you both made some good choices while you were out shopping, didn't you?" Allelujah asked.

Lyle let out a small snort, "With one exception."

Allelujah winced, "Yeah, I heard about that, it's a good thing Setsuna was around."

Feldt's eyebrows shot up as she felt a hand on her opposite shoulder and turned; thinking Lyle had draped his arm over her. Her mouth opened slightly when she saw that it was Setsuna instead.

"Setsuna!" Feldt said in surprise.

"I decided to tag along," the black haired meister said to them, "Is that alright?"

"Of course," Feldt said and looked to Marie and Allelujah who nodded.

Lyle stared at the shorter meister with a hint of suspicion in his blue eyes but said nothing.

"Tieria is staying," Setsuna spoke again.

"We heard, he's so uptight," Allelujah rolled his eyes, "But it's kind of funny. He's probably upset he can't really work on anything involving Veda while we're here."

"Probably…" Setsuna trailed off.

Feldt watched the Krugis man next to her and saw he was wearing jeans like Lyle, but on top he had on was a long sleeved black shirt with a blue scarf wound around his neck. Setsuna glanced down at her with a small frown on his features and Feldt turned away quickly. Her heart was pounding and she felt like running back up to the room and locking herself inside. It was as though she was splitting in two. One side of her was practically putty in Lyle's hand while the other was still engrossed in the mysterious man that was Setsuna F Seiei. Feldt wanted to scream but pursed her lips tightly together as Marie watched her skeptically.

Her relationship with Lyle had started off horribly and from the beginning she thought he was kind of a jerk. She never really talked to him after the kissing incident and pretty much avoided him. She developed feelings for Setsuna while still mourning the loss of Neil and was determined to give the Krugis meister the love and care he had been deprived of his entire life. She wanted him to be happy but fate hadn't been on her side as Setsuna was oblivious to her feelings. This trip to Ireland had turned everything upside down and Feldt felt like her feelings had been thrown into a blender. She still liked Setsuna, but her patience for him was waning since he never reciprocated. Feldt couldn't believe how her feelings for Lyle had grown in such a short period of time. The sniper made very good points when he explained how they were alike… Anew was dead and Neil was dead; leaving them both alone. It was logical for them to turn to each other for comfort.

Feldt looked to Lyle who had a scowl across his lips as they walked out of the hotel. She wasn't sure how she should act around him; especially in front of Setsuna. The two men walking on either side of her were pulling her heartstrings in opposite directions and it was killing her.

….

It was dark and loud inside McSorelys bar and nightclub. Vivid lights flashed on and off in random patterns as music blared through the giant speakers and the bass seemed to shake the walls. The dance floor was already packed with people and the night was in full swing. Feldt reached out and grabbed the base of Lyle's leather jacket as they passed through the masses so she wouldn't get lost. She noted couches and glass tables with small candles burning that were set up in the corners and along the walls. Many people were drinking and Feldt's eyes widened as she saw a couple kissing and touching each other heatedly on one of the far loveseats. She swallowed dryly and looked to Setsuna who was wearing a blank expression. She knew this wasn't his idea of fun and felt bad for asking him to come when he'd obviously be uncomfortable. Feldt let out a gasp as Lyle took a sharp step forward and began walking faster. She stumbled along behind him and he stopped suddenly.

"Glad we were able to snag one of these," he said to Allelujah who nodded in response.

There was a free table with a half circle of leather seating surrounding it. Feldt let go of Lyle's jacket and sat down, her knees trembling slightly. Marie took the seat next to her and gave the pink haired girl a reassuring touch on her arm.

"Where are you going?" Feldt called to Lyle who started to turn away.

The Irishman looked over his shoulder with a smirk, "To get us something to drink of course."

Feldt gave him a small smile and watched him grab Setsuna's arm; pulling him along. Allelujah stared after them for a few moments as they disappeared into the crowd.

He turned to Marie, "What do you want me to get you?"

Marie folded her hands under her chin, "Surprise me."

Allelujah grinned slightly and nodded, "I'll be back in a bit."

The meister walked away and Marie immediately turned to Feldt.

"Tell me what's going on," she said to the pink haired girl.

"What do you mean?" Feldt questioned in a startled tone.

"You looked like you were about to fall apart when we were leaving the hotel, something is bothering you… Did something happen with Lockon?"

Feldt shook her head strongly, "Not at all."

"Let's talk about it Feldt, you'll feel better if it's out in the open, I promise," Marie said to her.

"Well… since they're gone," Feldt spoke lowly with her eyes on the burning candle at the center of the table.

The systems engineer started talking quickly and told Marie about her dilemma involving Setsuna and Lyle. She had to admit that confiding felt nice but knew that she was basically confiding to Allelujah as well because he and Marie shared almost everything. Marie listened intently with unwavering golden eyes as the girl next to her spoke.

"I think that's about it," Feldt finished in a tired voice.

"There's no clear cut advice I can give you," Marie stated, "It's a decision you'll have to make on your own."

Feldt sighed, she knew it was true but it didn't stop her from wishing someone would tell her what the correct choice would be.

"I'll say one thing, you should try and make up your mind as soon as you can because being with both of them isn't possible. You're walking a thin line right now which could cause you to lose both of them," Marie said seriously.

Feldt's face fell because she knew Marie was right. She couldn't keep trying to have a relationship with both of them. The pink haired girl had already shared an intimate physical encounter with Lyle and it wasn't fair to him if she was also trying to be with Setsuna. It also wasn't fair to Setsuna who was ignorant to what she was doing with Lyle behind closed doors.

Marie placed a gentle hand on Feldt's shoulder with a soft smile, "You'll pick the right one for you, I know it."

"Things are going to change once we get back on the ship and leave though," Feldt said worriedly, "We're going to be back to our regular jobs where Lockon Stratos and Setsuna F Seiei are Gundam meisters fighting on behalf of Celestial Being. That's what's most important to them, I hardly see how I'll mean very much to them when we go back."

Marie shook her head, "Feldt ,you need to give yourself more credit than that. Celestial Being is incredibly important to Allelujah, but that doesn't mean he completely ignores me to go about his duties. If one of them really likes you, they'll balance the relationship and their job accordingly."

Feldt sighed, "I guess you're right."

"Keep your head up and let's have a good time tonight."

Feldt nodded and saw Lyle approaching the table with Setsuna and Allelujah trailing behind him. He held a drink in each hand and eyed them both before placing one in front of Feldt.

"For the lady," he said with a smile and turned to the Krugis meister behind him, "Setsuna, put those down will you?"

Feldt stared in surprise as Setsuna placed two glasses filled with dark liquid down and two shot glasses filled with lighter liquid next to them. Lyle slid into the seat on the other side of Feldt and put his arm around her shoulders with a grin.

"You're going to do a shot with me, right?"

"A shot?"

Lyle let out a laugh, "_Yes_, a shot, don't tell me you've never heard of that before."

Feldt's eyes dropped down, "No, not really."

Allelujah sat down next to Marie and placed a glass of red wine in front of her with a smile. He lifted his own drink and took a deep gulp. Setsuna stood and stared at Lyle with slightly narrowed eyes before he decided to sit down across from the Irishman next to Allelujah. Lyle reached forward with black gloved hands and set one of the glasses in front of Feldt.

"Long story short, you're only going to get one of these, because they make people, especially someone like you, drunk really fast," Lyle said as he pulled his own glass toward himself.

"What's in it?" Marie asked from across the table.

Lyle grinned, "I'm glad you asked, it's called and Irish Car Bomb. There's half a pint of Guinness in the pub glass, and then here in the shot glass we have half a shot of Jameson Irish whiskey, and half a shot of Bailey's Irish cream," he pointed at the smaller cup.

"That sounds like a lot of alcohol," Feldt told him worriedly.

"Like I said, only one for you, and it tastes like chocolate milk, you'll love it."

Setsuna narrowed his eyes, "Why is it called a car bomb?"

Lyle chuckled and grabbed the two shot glasses; holding them over top of the larger glasses containing the Guinness.

"Because…" the Irishman started as he dropped the shot glasses.

Feldt's eyes widened as the small glasses fell into the dark brown Guinness and appeared to explode in the liquid. The light brown mixture from the Irish cream and whiskey sprang forth and mixed with the dark Guinness quickly.

"I see," Setsuna stated dryly.

Feldt reached forward and took her glass, taking a small sip.

"No, no," Lyle shook his head, "You're going to take it all at once… we're going to do it at the same time, okay?"

Feldt stared at the half pint in her hand with wide eyes, "But that's a lot, I can't drink all of that at the same time."

"Ready?" Lyle asked as he held his full glass to his lips; watching her from the corner of his eye.

Feldt nervously raised her own glass and Lyle gave her a wink as he tipped his pub glass to the ceiling, gulping the drink down quickly. Feldt closed her eyes and started doing the same thing while she held her breath. Several swallows later the cup drained and Feldt shakily placed the empty glass on the table. Her mouth opened slightly when she heard clapping and saw Allelujah and Marie giving her a small hand with smiles.

"Nice one," Allelujah laughed.

Feldt looked to Lyle and his blue eyes seemed to dance with amusement. One of his hands made its way to her face and he ran his thumb over her upper lip; the material of his glove dragging across her skin. Feldt gaped as the sniper pulled away from her and brought his arm up; casually licking his thumb.

"What are you…" she tried to ask with blazing cheeks.

"You had foam from the Guinness on your lip, I got rid of it," he replied innocently.

Feldt sat frozen as the sniper grabbed the second drink he got himself and began drinking it down. She watched as his Adam's apple moved up and down as he swallowed. A tingling heat pooled in her lower belly and Feldt shifted her body uncomfortably; crossing and uncrossing her legs under the table.

"Let's go dance," Lyle suddenly said, turning to Feldt with a closed lipped smile.

"I-I can't!" Feldt stammered, still stunned.

"Sure you can," Lyle grabbed her arm and pulled.

Marie looked to Allelujah who shrugged, "You too?"

She gave him a small nod and Allelujah turned to Setsuna, "So you're going to hold our table down?"

Setsuna leaned back in his seat, "That's fine with me, I'm not one for dancing anyway, I'll stay here."

Feldt stumbled after Lyle who pulled her deep into the dancing crowd where all she could see were the outlines of moving bodies. The sniper seemed to be grinning ear to ear and she could tell at that moment he really enjoyed a good party. She found it hard to believe he still enjoyed going to nightclubs but looking at him as his blue eyes glittered in the vivid lights she definitely wouldn't have put him at twenty-nine years old. He still appeared quite youthful, and if she didn't know him she would have never guessed he was close to being thirty.

Feldt let out a small yelp as Lyle grabbed her around her waist and spun her around so her back was pressed against his chest. His hands firmly gripped her sides and she gasped as she felt him moving to the beat, guiding her body with his own. Feldt's cheeks were burning up as she could feel _every_ part of Lyle's body pressed to her back side as they moved. She looked up to see many of the other couples dancing in the same manner. Feldt couldn't believe something that seemed so inappropriate was so… _normal_ to do. Her jaw fell open as she watched how sexual some of the people were dancing. She felt embarrassed instantly and Lyle's hands tightened on her hips; pulling her even closer. He leaned down and rested his chin on her shoulder; smiling against the skin on her neck.

"Relax," he called into her ear, "You're so tense."

Feldt swallowed dryly, of course she was tense, she had never done anything like this before. To be frank, the pink haired girl was terrified. She could feel the warmth from Lyle's body on her own and she took a deep breath; closing her eyes. The systems engineer began trying to move her body to the man's rhythm behind her so he didn't have to control her every move. Eventually she accomplished her task after a few awkward instances where they bumped into each other because she missed a beat. A smile spread across Feldt's lips as she started to feel like she was having fun. Her eyes widened slightly as she spotted Allelujah and Marie through the crowd who were dancing together quite provocatively.

"Look at those two go," Lyle laughed as he spotted them, "They deserve to have a good time after all they've been through."

The music pulsed on and as the minutes went by Feldt began to grow more comfortable with her own body. She leaned down a little bit and put her own hands on Lyle's that were over her hip bones. The sniper grinned down at her and yanked the small girl tightly against him with a possessive growl. Feldt's heart was pounding and she seemed to be losing her mind. All she wanted to do was turn around and drag the man behind her back to their hotel room. She wanted him to touch her again like he had before so she could experience that cloud nine feeling.

"You're getting a little brave aren't you?" Lyle asked as he lifted a hand and brushed her pink hair away from her neck; kissing her skin that was salty with sweat.

"I don't feel as nervous," Feldt told him as they moved together to the pounding bass.

Songs rolled by and before Feldt knew it she was sweating and panting with exhaustion. Her knees trembled and her feet were aching from standing in her heels.

Lyle pulled away from her and put a hand on her head, "Go take a break, I'm going to head outside for a few minutes."

Feldt stared at him and he laughed, "I'm not leaving, just going to have a quick smoke."

The pink haired girl made her way through the dense crowd back to the table where she saw Setsuna sitting with his drink. He watched her with his arms crossed as she approached.

"Setsuna, you're all by yourself," Feldt said guiltily as she sat down next to him.

"I'm fine," he told her in reply as he pushed a glass of water toward her, "Here."

"Thanks," Feldt nodded as she sipped on the cool drink.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Setsuna asked as he leaned back in his seat and stared up at the flashing lights.

"I am, but I was pretty nervous at first. Allelujah and Marie look like they're having a really good time, I'm glad."

Setsuna reached up and pulled on his blue scarf awkwardly, "Where's Lockon?"

"He went outside," Feldt replied.

The meister was silent and Feldt turned to him with a frown. He paused and looked at her, his chestnut eyes deep and mysterious.

"Setsuna?" she questioned.

The young meister cleared his throat, "Feldt… I want to tell you something."

The pink haired girl's heart started pounding and she felt a lump in her throat. She couldn't find the willpower to speak.

"I understand that you had feelings for me in the past…" Setsuna trailed off, "I'm not good with things like that so I didn't see it at all."

Feldt shook her head, "It's fine, you don't need to apologize."

"Have you moved on?" Setsuna suddenly asked.

Feldt's green eyes widened, "What do you mean?"

"Do you still… have those feelings?" he asked her quietly.

Feldt squeezed her fists in her lap, "I'm not sure."

"Do you like Lockon?"

Feldt squeezed her eyes shut tightly, willing everything around her to disappear but to no avail. She opened her lids to see Setsuna staring at her with his dark eyes; expecting an answer. The systems engineer didn't want to lie so she decided that she would be honest… completely honest.

"I like both of you," Feldt practically whispered.

Setsuna's eyes grew wide for a fraction of a second and then he frowned.

"Setsuna, I really liked you, but I thought you had no interest in me," she told him and then continued, "I was never close with Lyle, but this trip changed everything. I'm to the point I wish I would have stayed on the Ptolemy because then this would have never happened and I wouldn't be confused."

"You mean because of Lockon."

Feldt nodded, "I'm sorry."

"Isn't he a little old for you?" Setsuna asked seriously.

Feldt's expression fell, "What?"

"He's ten years older than you."

"I know that," Feldt suddenly felt angry.

It was as though Setsuna was saying she wasn't good enough for Lyle because she was still a little girl. Setsuna continued to stare at her and Feldt bit the inside of her cheek in frustration.

"Do you like me Setsuna?" she asked him.

The Krugis meister paused in shock and he immediately looked away from her, "I don't know. I've never experienced something like that before, so I have no idea how it feels."

"I see…" Feldt trailed off.

"Celestial Being and being a Gundam meister is my number one duty," Setsuna declared lowly, "I'll continue to fight no matter what."

Marie's words floated back to Feldt and she let out a sigh, "And since that's your number one duty I'll tell you that I've made the decision that a relationship deserves priority as well. I need someone who will take our relationship and their job at equal importance. I should be allowed to have that much…"

"I don't think I can give you that," Setsuna said in a hushed voice.

Feldt nodded, "I know that, which is why I think it's good we've had this talk. Now we both know that we're probably not good for each other. We can move on."

"Right…" Setsuna slowly agreed.

"But please Setsuna, let's always be friends," Feldt pleaded.

The black haired meister nodded, "That's fine."

…

It was nearly three in the morning when the group made their way back to the hotel. Feldt was barefoot carrying her pumps under one arm with sleepy eyes. She dragged her feet and struggled to walk in a straight line. Her body was tingling with soreness already and all she wanted to do was sleep.

"Am I going to have to carry you up the stairs?" Lyle joked in a tired voice.

"Let's use the elevator," Feldt mumbled.

"That was a great night," Allelujah told Lyle.

Lyle smirked at his fellow meister, "I saw you two getting a little frisky on the dance floor."

Allelujah and Marie both visibly blushed and Lyle laughed at them. They waved and started walking up the stairs to their room. Lyle reached down and pushed the button for the elevator and waited patiently.

"I'll be heading to my room too," Setsuna said in a quiet voice as he started to make his way up the stairs as well.

"Goodnight Setsuna," Feldt said to him softly, "Thanks for coming."

Setsuna wordlessly gave her a nod and left the pair alone waiting on the lift. The doors opened and they stepped in; pressing their floor number. The elevator rose and Feldt clung to Lyle with her eyes closed until the doors opened with a ding. They made their way to their room where Lyle swiped the key and opened the door.

"I'm going straight to bed," Feldt said as she sat down heavily on at the foot of her mattress.

"Sounds good to me," Lyle agreed.

"Ah, I've got to brush my teeth though," Feldt mumbled sleepily as she got up and walked to the bathroom; turning the sink on.

She began scrubbing her teeth and paused when she saw a hand reach over her and grab the toothbrush next to where hers had been. Feldt looked up in the mirror to see Lyle standing behind her with a tired smile. He leaned over her shoulder and reached around to grab the toothpaste. The two brushed their teeth in silence and left the bathroom feeling slightly refreshed.

Feldt stared down at her suitcase where her sleep clothes were lying on top. She looked to Lyle who threw his jacket over one of the chairs and pulled his shirt over his head; revealing his toned chest. He turned to see her desperately looking at her clothes and let out a small laugh.

"Come on Feldt, just put them on, I'm not going to do anything to you, there's no need to be so embarrassed."

Feldt inhaled sharply and turned so her back was facing the sniper. She slowly pulled her shirt over her head and unclasped her bra; quickly pulling her sleep shirt on. She stepped into her sleep shorts and pulled them up under her skirt. Lyle watched in disbelief as she proudly pulled the skirt down, having revealed nothing during her quick change. He shook his head and pulled his gloves off; tossing them into his duffle bag. Feldt climbed sleepily into her bed and smiled contently as she soft sheets rubbed against her skin. She turned out the light without saying anything and left Lyle standing in the dark. He let out a huff and blindly searched through his bag to find his sleep pants that he changed into swiftly. The sniper approached Feldt's bed and pulled the sheets back.

"Lyle!" she exclaimed.

"Move over," he told her.

Feldt wiggled herself further to the other side until she heard the bed creak as Lyle came to rest beside her. He wrapped an arm possessively around her waist and within seconds both of them were soundly asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Once again thank you for the positive reviews!**

**Here goes Day Four!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or any of its characters, if I did Setsuna would be with Feldt and Anew would still be alive with Lyle!**

It was early morning and the group sat around a table for breakfast. Everyone was yawning except for Tieria who narrowed his eyes at his comrades with a frown.

"This is exactly why going out to some club is ridiculous, look at all of you!" the violet haired meister spat as he shook his head.

"Lighten up," Lyle said as he picked up his cup of coffee and took a drink.

Feldt had dark circles under her eyes and everything seemed to move in slow motion. She kept zoning out and at one point found herself staring directly at Setsuna. The Krugis meister had a tired face but didn't appear too worse for wear.

"It was a good time Tieria," Allelujah said with a wry expression, "You missed out."

"I highly doubt it."

Allelujah shook his head and popped a piece of fruit in his mouth. Feldt reached out and added two more sugar cubes to her tea and stirred the liquid in a dazed state. She picked up her drink and took a sip of it; pursing her lips.

"Too sweet."

"I could have told you that, what was that, five cubes?" Lyle asked her.

"Six."

"Feldt are you okay?" Marie asked.

The pink haired girl nodded slowly, "I'm really tired, that's all."

"You look like a zombie," Allelujah commented.

"Thanks…" Feldt trailed off.

"Cheer up, everyone will get to rest today, we have a long ride ahead of us," Lyle announced.

"Are you in any condition to be driving?" Tieria asked skeptically.

"Of course I am, if I didn't, who would take the wheel?"

"Someone with more than three hours of sleep," Tieria grumbled.

Lyle leaned back in his seat and called to one of the hotel staff waiters. One of them turned and made their way to him with a smile.

"Can I get an Irish coffee?"

The waiter left and Tieria narrowed his eyes crimson eyes, "What's wrong with the cup that's there in front of you?"

The waiter returned quickly and set a glass down in front of Lyle who nodded gratefully. Feldt leaned forward and eyed the drink which had a thick amount of cream floating on top of it. The Irishman picked it up and took a gulp; wiping the cream from his upper lip with a satisfied sigh.

"Exactly what I needed."

"What's _in_ it?" Tieria questioned suspiciously.

"A touch of whiskey," Lyle winked with a grin.

"You're drinking at _seven_ in the morning?" Tieria asked quite loudly with a shocked expression.

"Take it easy, it's mostly coffee," Lyle shrugged, "It just has a little extra kick."

Tieria shook his head in defeat, "I don't know what to say to you."

….

Feldt cracked her eyes in a foggy state. She winced at the odd angle her neck was bent and sat up straight; rubbing it slowly with her hand. The pink haired girl blinked slowly and turned to see Lyle leaned back lazily in the driver's seat steering with one hand on the wheel. Feldt started to smile but then reached up and touched the side of her mouth instinctively. She let out a small gasp as she felt dried crust on her skin and turned away with embarrassment.

"You took a nice little nap didn't you?" Lyle asked with a hint of amusement in his voice and added, "Why won't you look at me? Did you drool or something?"

Feldt's cheeks were burning and she tried to wipe the dried saliva from her skin to no avail. She quickly licked her thumb and used the moisture to clean herself up. Lyle let out a laugh and Feldt continued to stare out the window with a mortified expression. Moments passed and Feldt turned in her seat to see Setsuna leaned back in his seat with his eyes closed. His mouth was slightly open and from the slow movement of his chest it was obvious that he had dozed off. Tieria had his arms crossed and was looking out the window with a small frown while tapping his fingers impatiently on his forearm. Feldt leaned out further to see Allelujah reading some kind of book in the back while Marie had her head resting on his shoulder. Her eyes were shut and she was sleeping soundly. Feldt let out a small yelp as she felt something come down heavily on top of her head. She looked up to see Lyle with a small grin as he ruffled her hair. She pulled away from him and sat back in her seat again while trying to smooth her pink locks out.

"How long was I asleep?" Feldt asked quietly so she wouldn't wake the others.

"Eh, I'd say about an hour," Lyle replied as he glanced down at the radio clock.

Feldt was silent again and her eyes started to droop. Her body was still exhausted from the night before and it was impossible for the young girl to stay awake with the vehicle's humming engine and movements lulling her into a dreamlike state.

….

"Feldt, wake up."

The pink haired girl wrinkled her nose and slowly opened her eyes. She sat up straight and saw that she was the only one left in the van as everyone else had gotten out already. Lyle gave her a pat on the head and nodded for her to get out. She opened her door to see they were near a pier with a medium sized boat floating next to it.

"What are we doing?" Feldt mumbled in a sleepy voice as a chilly wind blew around her.

She looked up to see the ocean stretching out to the horizon. The systems engineer squinted her eyes as she saw what appeared to be land off in the distance.

"We're going to take a boat ride to one of those islands out there," Lyle pointed at the blurry shapes across the water.

"Islands?" Feldt questioned.

Lyle nodded, "There are three of them and we're going to go to the largest one."

"What do you mean by _large_?" Tieria asked skeptically, "They can't be larger than the island we're standing on right now."

Lyle shrugged, "That's true, Inishmore, the one we're going to, has a little more than 800 people living on it."

Feldt turned to see a man hop off of the floating boat and walk in their direction. Lyle brushed by her and met him while grabbing his hand in a firm handshake. The two began talking quickly and Feldt took a few steps toward the sniper as he finished his conversation.

"_Inis Mhór__, go raibh maith agat."_

Feldt turned with a bizarre expression and looked at the other members of the group. Tieria was staring in interest at Lyle and the others wore the same confused expression that she did.

"We're all set," Lyle returned to them with a smile.

The sniper paused when he saw everyone staring at him with different expressions and he let out a chuckle.

"Wow, you all act like I'm some kind of freak because I'm speaking my native language."

"I think it's really cool…" Feldt trailed off shyly, "I just wish I could understand what you were saying."

Lyle grinned, "That's exactly why you all need me to go with you to that island. They don't speak much English, only Gaelic."

"What are we going to do there?" Allelujah asked, "I thought you said we had a long drive today, that didn't take too long."

"We still have a long drive, but I wanted to break the day up so you weren't stuck in that van all day."

"I hope no one gets seasick," Feldt mumbled.

"I've never been on a boat like that before," Marie said as she looked at the floating vessel.

"We've really only been underwater or in space," Allelujah agreed, "I guess we'll see how this works."

"Have you been on a boat before Setsuna?" Feldt asked.

Setsuna shook his head, "No, I haven't."

"I suppose you have," Tieria stated as he looked to Lyle.

"Of course I have, you aren't Irish if you haven't been on a boat trip to fish."

"I figured," Tieria almost rolled his crimson eyes.

…

"Setsuna, are you alright?"

The black haired meister was bent over in his seat with his hands folded between his knees. His forehead was almost touching his thumbs and his eyes were closed as the boat soared over the bumpy waves. He lifted his head briefly and eyed Feldt who was looking at him with a concerned expression.

"I'm fine," he told her in a queasy voice.

"If you're going to throw up, do it over the side," Lyle pointed at the bars that lined the edges of the boat.

"I'm not going to vomit," Setsuna said lowly as he dropped his head once again.

Lyle chuckled from his seat next to Feldt and saw her shudder from the frigid air that was hitting them strongly as they moved. She had her arms crossed tightly over her chest and the sniper could see her eyes were watering as the salty air came in contact with them. He leaned back casually and put his arm around her shoulders. Feldt visibly tensed, but when the others didn't react she slowly relaxed. Allelujah watched Marie with a smile as she leaned over the side of the moving vessel and stared down at the blue water with large eyes.

"Another great choice Lockon," Allelujah told the sniper.

Lyle grinned in response and gave Feldt a squeeze, "Glad you approve."

Allelujah raised an eyebrow with a suggestive smile as he watched the pair in front of him. Lyle reached up and ruffled Feldt's hair as she shivered.

"You okay?" he leaned over her and asked lowly.

Feldt looked up to see his blue eyes staring down at her. She gave him a small nod and proceeded to scoot closer to him. The pink haired girl immediately felt the warmth from the man next to her as their bodies made contact. It made her woozy and her eyes fluttered as she once again felt sleepy. Her head nodded to the side and eventually came to rest on Lyle's shoulder.

"Don't fall asleep on me yet!" Lyle told her, "We're almost there."

Feldt's eyes popped open and she tried to blink the drowsiness away. Lyle's masculine scent filled her nose and an extreme calm came over her.

"Setsuna, you doing alright over there?" Allelujah called out.

"Stop torturing yourself, if you're going to do it, _do it_," Tieria said to the younger man with a wrinkled nose.

"Better keep your distance from him," Lyle laughed as Tieria stood up and backed away from Setsuna who appeared to be trembling as he squeezed his hands tightly together.

Tieria let out a light snort and walked to the back of the boat; leaning over the railing as his violet hair blew around his face. Feldt pulled away from Lyle and stood up with a frown to make her way over to the younger meister. She sat down next to him and hesitantly placed a small hand on his back.

"We're almost there Setsuna," she told him soothingly as she rubbed his back with a sympathetic expression.

The black haired meister didn't speak and Feldt continued to try and comfort him. Lyle watched from the other side of the boat with a small smile on his lips. Feldt was such a unique girl and by the way she was acting at the moment, Lyle reached the conclusion that she'd make a great mother someday.

"Look at that!" Marie said with a smile as the island Inishmore seemed to appear quickly in front of them.

The boat began to slow and Feldt reached down and grabbed one of Setsuna's hands tightly as the boat jerked from the rough sea. They pulled up to a dock and came to a stop, the vessel now rocking gently with the movement of the waves under it. Feldt's eyebrows rose as she heard the meister next to her blow out his lips sharply.

"Setsuna?"

"I'm fine," he said tightly as he stood.

Feldt stared up at him and quickly noted how pale his face was. His chestnut eyes were dull and he was shaky as he started to walk. The pink haired girl frowned, why did he always have to act like nothing bothered him and that he didn't need anyone else's help? She sighed and shook her head as she watched him get off the boat as quickly as possible. Feldt stood and trailed after Tieria as the violet haired meister passed her. Lyle came up behind the systems engineer and grabbed at her waist as if he was going to tickle her. Feldt jumped with wide eyes and turned to face him as he let out a laugh. She couldn't help but smile. Lyle always seemed so carefree and it definitely rubbed off on the people around him. She instantly forgot her worries and flashed the man behind her a playful smile. The pink haired girl felt brave in that moment since the others were ahead of them and she gave Lyle a wink like he usually did to her. The sniper's eyebrows rose in surprise and he instantly grinned from ear to ear.

"You're certainly in a good mood," he told her in an amused voice.

Feldt ascended the steps that led down to the wooden dock. Allelujah held his hand out and she gratefully took it as she stepped down onto the pier. Feldt pulled her jacket tightly around herself and she looked around with awed eyes. Lyle stopped right next to her and inhaled deeply.

"It's a little rustic and rough out here, but still pretty," he stated as he looked around.

"I take it the people here don't have very much money," Allelujah said as he glanced around at a couple staggered buildings with stone walls.

"Nope, this is as close to old Ireland as you can get," Lyle replied as he whipped a cigarette and his lighter out quickly.

Feldt watched as he held the flame up to the stick hanging from his lips and frowned. His blue eyes went to hers and he puffed out a small cloud of smoke innocently.

"That's not good for you," she told him in a quiet voice.

Lyle pulled the cigarette from his mouth and tapped it as grey ashes fell to the ground. The others were silent and watched the sniper as he stared at the pink haired girl.

Allelujah shrugged, "She's right you know."

Lyle rolled his eyes, "It's a habit, most of the people here do it."

"Smoking and drinking, how charming," Tieria said sarcastically.

Lyle shrugged, "Say what you want."

"Did Neil ever do those things?" Feldt couldn't help but ask.

Lyle's face fell and a flash of annoyance appeared on his features, "How would I know?"

Feldt shrank back slightly, "I didn't know, I'm sorry."

The pink haired girl instantly realized the mistake she made. She was asking Lyle about Neil so she could compare the two… something she knew was Lyle's biggest pet peeve.

Lyle let out a huff and took an aggressive drag before throwing the cigarette to the ground and stomping harshly on it. He blew a short stream of smoke over his shoulder with a sour expression and shoved his gloved hands in his pockets.

"Let's get going, we need to be back on the road in a couple hours."

Feldt didn't follow after the sniper as he began walking down the dock toward the main road of the island. She looked over to see that Setsuna wasn't moving either and found herself stepping slowly over to him. He glanced at her and she could see his face was still pale.

"Are you okay?" Feldt asked in a hushed voice.

Setsuna nodded, "I'll be fine, the nausea is passing."

Feldt gave him a warm smile, "I'm glad."

"Are _you_ okay is the real question…"

Feldt paused and her green eyes shot up to Setsuna who was staring at her with a searching expression.

"What do you mean?"

Setsuna shook his head, his wavy dark hair moving in the breeze, "You know what I'm talking about."

Feldt's eyes went to the ground, "I shouldn't have brought Neil up… I know how Lyle feels about being compared to his brother."

"He may not like it but he needs to learn to deal with it," Setsuna replied, "He's alive and his brother isn't, so there's no point in being offended by comparisons that don't mean anything."

Feldt stared at the meister with her lips slightly parted. She couldn't believe Setsuna was actually trying to give her advice. She smiled at him, happy to know that they were friends and he seem comfortable talking to her.

"We'd better get going before we lose them," Setsuna gave a curt nod to the group who was disappearing over a hill in the distance.

Feldt turned and let out a small gasp and began walking quickly after the black haired Krugis man.

"Setsuna?"

"What is it?"

"Thank you."

Setsuna shook his head, "There's nothing to thank me for, you didn't do anything wrong and I wanted to make sure you knew that."

"What am I going to say to him? He's upset with me," Feldt said lowly with a sad face.

"He'll approach you when he's calmed down, leave him alone for now," Setsuna replied.

Feldt nodded as they finally caught up to the group. She looked up to see Allelujah walking next to Lyle and Marie dropped back next to the engineer.

"Are you alright Feldt? Things seemed to get a little tense back there."

Feldt gave the super soldier a smile, "I'm fine, don't worry about me."

"Allelujah wasn't happy with his reaction," Marie stated, "He went after him as soon as we started walking."

"It's no big deal," Feldt shook her head.

"What a hot head," Tieria stated dryly as he walking in front of the two girls and stared at the sniper's back.

"He's not a hot head!" Feldt reached out and grabbed the innovade's arm.

Tieria turned with raised eyebrows as Feldt continued, "He gets upset when he's compared to his brother because when they were younger Neil was better at almost everything! It hurts him and I understand that's why it upsets him so easily."

Tieria huffed, "He shouldn't let such trivial matters bother him. The past is the past."

Feldt nodded, "I agree, but there are some things from our past that are extremely hard to let go…"

Tieria was silent as he realized that she was talking about Neil. The innovade knew that no one in the group had been able to let go of the first Lockon Stratos or the fact that he was dead. They continued to walk down the narrow road that they were on in silence. Lyle and Allelujah were lengths ahead of the group and every once in a while Feldt could hear one of them raising their voice as the conversation became heated.

"What did we come here for?" Setsuna asked lowly as the scarf around his neck fluttered in the wind.

"Worried that the boat trip wasn't worth the trouble?" Tieria asked wryly, "We still have to go back you know."

Setsuna sighed, "I _do_ know."

Feldt silently glanced at the landscape around her that consisted of rolling pastures with grazing cows and sheep. She stared over the stacked stone fences at the untamed grass and wondered what it would be like to live carefree in a beautiful place like the one surrounding her. She looked to her other side where the ocean stretched out to the horizon and sighed at its enormity. They continued to walk until Feldt noticed a small cottage that grew closer as they approached. Lyle and Allelujah paused at the door and waited for the others to catch up. Feldt stopped and stood behind Tieria with downcast eyes; avoiding Lyle's line of sight. Allelujah broke from the sniper's side and returned to Marie with an evident scowl on his face.

"I take it this is where we're having lunch," Tieria said as he eyed the aged cottage.

"It's a homey little place," Lyle replied at he pointed at the door, "Go on in."

Tieria raised an eyebrow, "Don't we need you to talk to them for us?"

Lyle shook his head, "This is a tourist stop, they'll be able to understand you."

Tieria turned his crimson eyes to the door and approached it as the others followed. Feldt tried to maneuver her way into the center of the group behind Tieria and in front of Setsuna but she failed. Lyle reached out and grabbed the collar of her jacket firmly. She stumbled and looked over her shoulder with wide green eyes.

"Where do you think you're going? There's something we need to resolve right now."

Feldt stared helplessly at the wooden door as it closed and separated her from the others. She turned to the man behind her and nervously looked at the ground. She had hurt his feelings… she knew better than to compare Lyle to Neil but had done it anyway, it was her fault.

"Don't act like we're strangers, look at me," Lyle said seriously.

Feldt winced and looked up slowly at him as he stared at her with piercing blue eyes.

"I'm sorry," she immediately blurted out.

Lyle shook his head, "It's not your fault. I overreacted and was jerk, no excuses."

Feldt looked at the sniper with doe eyes and his expression instantly softened.

"I can't stay mad at you," he said in a hushed voice, "You're too cute."

Feldt blushed and looked to the ground in embarrassment.

"I don't know if Neil ever drank or smoked to answer your earlier question before I lost my head. I _was_ being honest… I wasn't around so I don't have a clue what he did."

Feldt glanced back up at Lyle and she gave him a small smile, "Let's forget about this."

Lyle snapped his fingers, "Already done."

Feldt let out a small laugh and Lyle quickly wrapped her in his arms.

"Don't feel like you can't ask me about my brother, I'll tell you what I know, but it's not much, I'm sorry."

Feldt inhaled his scent and nodded into his chest as he gave her a sharp squeeze. She knew he was giving her permission to ask about Neil, but she wasn't going to do it. Even if he let her, she knew that every time she did it the subject would upset him; even if he didn't show it. Lyle was alive and with her while Neil wasn't; she had to accept that.

Lyle leaned down and kissed the pink haired girl's forehead with a crooked smile. She looked up at him as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and guided her though the door to the inside of the cottage. The others glanced up and Feldt saw Allelujah let out a relieved sigh. Setsuna stared at her with an emotionless expression but gave her a small nod before looking away. Feldt turned to see a fireplace where flames cracked as they burned through the blackened wood that was stacked inside. She and Lyle sat down and the sniper gave her a quick wink before picking up his menu.

…..

Feldt inhaled deeply as she walked down the main road they had come down earlier. She could see the pier materializing in the distance and glanced to Setsuna who was wearing a stoic expression. Lyle walked closely by her side and they brushed each other with every step.

"It's very peaceful here," Feldt said to the sniper next to her in a quiet voice.

Lyle nodded, "Yeah, a bit _too_ peaceful for my tastes. I don't mind visiting, but living here with only a handful of other people would get boring."

Feldt let out a small giggle, "I guess you're right."

"We've got a several hour drive once we get back to the car and it's probably going to be late when we make it to the hotel," Lyle told her lowly.

"No bar crawling for you tonight then?" Feldt asked him with a small smile.

Lyle chuckled lightly, "I don't know about _that_, but I'll probably take it easy. If I _do_ go out it won't be for long."

"I'm going to bed when we get there, I'm sure I'll be exhausted."

Lyle blinked with a pouting expression, "You aren't going to have a night cap drink with me?"

"I'm not going out," Feldt shook her head.

"I wasn't asking you to, the hotel has a bar you know," Lyle shrugged, "But if you _really_ don't want to have one with me…"

Feldt shook her head with a tired smile, "You know that's not what I meant. I'll have to see if I'm up to it or if I want to go to our room to get to sleep early."

"Our room?" Lyle questioned with a smirk, "So you want to pair up again?"

Feldt's cheeks went scarlet, "I… I just assumed."

Lyle laughed and ruffled her pink hair, "I'm giving you a hard time, of course we're going to room together, who else would you stay with?"

Feldt gave him an uneasy smile, "I hope no one else will care."

Lyle glanced around, "I don't know of anyone here that's chomping at the bit to be my roommate, do you?"

The boat was close now and Feldt nervously fiddled with her thumbs, "Maybe…"

Lyle's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "_Who_?"

Feldt's green eyes slowly met his as they walked and the corner of her mouth tried to twitch into a smile. A look of realization washed over the sniper and he grinned at her. Feldt jumped when he wrapped an arm around her waist and quickly pulled her close.

"I'm glad to know you feel the same way I do," he whispered with mischievous blue eyes.

Feldt stared at him with her jaw dropped as he let go and walked ahead of the group to meet the helmsman of the boat. She swallowed dryly and a nervous feeling welled in her gut as she stared at the slender man's backside. It had been two days since she and the sniper had been intimate with one another and Feldt wondered if they would eventually go all the way. It was a scary thought to her at first but after spending more time with Lyle she was beginning to think that he was the only one she wanted to have her first time with. He was gentle and understanding when it came to her inexperience and he had not tried to force anything on her. She felt safe with him and he made her stomach feel like it was filled with butterflies.

"Everybody on!" Lyle pointed at the boat as he climbed aboard with a grin.

Feldt held back and waited for Setsuna who was trailing behind everyone else. She looked up to see Lyle already seated on the deck and turned back to Setsuna.

"Are you ready? In a little bit it'll be over and you can rest."

Setsuna narrowed his eyes at her slightly for babying him and said nothing. He reached out and grabbed the steel railing to pull himself aboard. Setsuna rigidly made his way to one of the open benches and sat down with his hands folded in his lap. Feldt sighed as she reached up to pull herself onto the boat. Her pink eyebrows rose when she saw a slender hand reach out in front of her face. She looked up to see Tieria eyeing her.

"Thank you," she told him kindly as he helped her.

"Way to go Setsuna, you need some lessons on how to treat a lady," Lyle called out to the younger man who sat on the other side of the vessel.

Setsuna seemed to ignore the sniper and Feldt watched him with a frown. She began walking toward Lyle when she paused and shot another glance in Setsuna's direction. Feldt bit the inside of her cheek and changed directions and sat down next to the Krugis meister. She looked to Lyle who shook his head with a small scowl as they made eye contact.

The boat began to back slowly away from the dock and swung around so they were facing open water. The engine revved up and they were once again soaring over the crashing blue swells. Feldt bounced up and down in her seat from the vibration of the boat under her. Setsuna sat stiffly next to her and stared at the deck with pursed lips. The pink haired girl decided not to say anything since she knew that Setsuna didn't want to seem weak in front of everyone else. The ride back to the main part of Ireland seemed to go faster than the one to Inishmore. Before she knew it, Feldt was standing and following Marie to the dock they originally departed from.

"Let's get this show on the road," Lyle mumbled as he pulled the key to the van out of his pocket.

Feldt hopped into the passenger seat and watched Lyle's back as the Irishman leaned against the front of the vehicle. She stared at his profile as he quickly reached for something in his pocket. The pink haired girl blinked in surprise when he paused and looked at her over his shoulder with a startled expression. She had no idea what his problem was and gave him a bizarre look when she saw him let out a laugh.

"What's wrong?" she asked him as he slid into the driver's seat.

"It's hard to believe Feldt, but you made me think twice about lighting one up."

"Huh?" she questioned.

"A cigarette," Lyle told her with a wry smile.

Realization washed over Feldt and she smiled at him.

"Don't think I'm quitting though," he winked as he started the engine.

…..

"Finally," Tieria mumbled out his dark window as the van pulled up to a large hotel that was glowing with lights.

Allelujah let out a yawn in the back seat and stretched his arms over his head stiffly as Marie gave him a sleepy smile.

"What time is it?" Setsuna asked as he slid his door open and cold night air hit him.

"Almost midnight," Lyle answered.

"Definitely bed time," Marie said as she stepped out onto the sidewalk.

Feldt nodded in agreement, she was tired of sitting in a car seat and wanted to lie down in a warm bed with soft sheets. She glanced at Lyle who appeared to be wide awake and mentally sighed in disappointment. She knew he would wander off once they got checked in and she wouldn't see him until the next morning because she'd be asleep.

"I take it our rooming assignments are the same?" Tieria questioned as they entered the glass doors and approached the reception desk.

Lyle glanced over his shoulder, "Feldt? Did you want to switch it up?"

Everyone turned to the systems engineer and panic showed on her face.

"It's fine!" she sputtered.

Minutes passed as Lyle checked them in and he turned around; passing out room keys.

"We're off to bed," Allelujah announced as he put and arm around Marie, "I think we could all use some shut eye."

Tieria shook his head, "You're all worn out because you stayed out late last night. Don't play it off like we've had a difficult day."

Allelujah shrugged, "I guess you're right, but it was a good time so I don't regret it… I don't think anyone does."

Marie waved farewell to Feldt as she followed Allelujah down a hall that led to the staircases and elevators to take them upstairs. The pink haired girl turned to Setsuna who had dark circles under his eyes.

"You should rest," she suggested out loud to him.

The Krugis meister let out a tired sigh, "Probably."

"You haven't had a good night's rest and you got pretty sick today…" Feldt trailed off, her eyes going to the floor.

"I'll take care of myself," Setsuna stated lowly.

Feldt nodded and Tieria gave the younger meister a curt nod.

"Let's go."

Feldt watched the pair leave and she slowly turned to see Lyle standing behind her with bright eyes.

"How are you wide awake? You didn't get much sleep last night either…"

Lyle shrugged and with a sly smile said, "I'm used to being up this late, because night time is party time."

Feldt wanted shake her head in disappointment but Lyle grabbed her arm and started pulling her down the decorated hall. They passed a large room with a glowing bar that people were having drinks at. Lyle paused in the doorway and turned to Feldt with a pleading expression.

"If you're going to stay here I'd like the room key so I can get cleaned up and go to bed."

Lyle's expression fell and he looked from the neon lit bar back to Feldt with a look of frustration on his face.

"Ah… fine, let's go," he finally huffed and continued pulling her down the hall to the elevator.

"Didn't you want something to drink?" Feldt asked him in surprise as he aggressively pushed the up button for the lift.

"It's not a big deal."

"But why?"

The doors opened and Feldt followed the sniper into the carpeted elevator with a questioning expression. The elevator began going up and Lyle leaned back against the wall; staring at the ceiling.

"Lyle?" Feldt called to him when he didn't respond.

The doors opened and she followed the Irishman down a long hall until they paused at a darkly stained wood door. He swiped the room key and stepped back, motioning for her to go in first. Feldt hesitantly walked by him and let out a gasp at what she saw. The door closed behind her and Lyle wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"I didn't want you coming up here alone, because I got this room especially for us… plus I knew you'd freak out if you walked in alone and saw there was only one bed."

Feldt gaped at the suite which had a king sized bed with crisp white sheets and a fancy duvet. She peered into the bathroom to see that there was a bathtub and a shower which were separate.

"Why do all of these hotels have _clear_ glass around the showers?" Feldt asked as she stared at the shower door.

Lyle let out a small chuckle and didn't answer her question as he took her bag from her and put it on the floor next to his. The Irishman walked to the far side of the room and looked out the window where street lights were glowing brightly.

"It's been a while since I've been in the north," Lyle mumbled as he turned around with a thoughtful expression.

Feldt was already in her suitcase and pulling things out to set them up in the bathroom. She arranged her toiletries neatly and smiled at her work once it was complete. The pink haired girl couldn't believe that she wasn't fazed by the idea that Lyle had put them in a room with only a single bed. They had slept in the same bed a couple of times already and she actually felt an excitement deep inside her.

"I'm going to take a shower," she called out to him from where she was standing in the bathroom.

"You could wait till morning, aren't you the one who wanted to get to bed?" Lyle asked as he leaned around the bathroom door frame.

"But I don't want to go to bed feeling gritty," Feldt frowned as she looked at herself in the mirror.

"I doubt you're _that_ dirty Feldt, we barely did anything today. Wait till the morning and we can both take one."

Feldt's eyes widened and Lyle added quickly, "Separately of course."

The pink haired girl swallowed dryly and her inexperience suddenly began to weigh heavily on her mind. Lyle probably thought she was a silly little girl who was afraid of seeing a man's body. She felt embarrassed and hoped he wasn't regretting his decision to stay in the same room with her.

"What's wrong?" he suddenly asked.

"I… I don't want you to think of me as a little girl, even though I'm acting like one," Feldt answered shakily as she turned to face him.

Lyle blinked in response and a smile crossed his lips, "Are you talking about the fact you've never done _it _before and that you're a _bit_ younger than I am?"

"Isn't it annoying for you to put up with someone like me that's completely clueless?" Feldt asked seriously.

Lyle let out a laugh, "Surprisingly no… it's refreshing because there aren't many girls that are as innocent as you. I like it."

"Oh…" Feldt mumbled.

"Quit doubting yourself," Lyle said, "You're a great girl and experience or lack thereof doesn't change that."

Feldt's green eyes slowly met his and she smiled at him, "Thanks Lyle."

The sniper turned away, "It's not a big deal, now get changed so we can go to sleep."

Feldt walked out of the bathroom to grab her sleep clothes from her bag to see Lyle already pulling his shirt over his head. His wavy brown hair settled down messily on his head as he pulled the collar of his shirt over it. The sniper shook his head to get it to fall back into place and reached up to run his fingers through it quickly. Feldt stared at his back with wide eyes and couldn't help the strong urge she had to touch him. Her eyes went to the clock which showed it was getting close to one in the morning. She bit the inside of her cheek and took silent steps toward the older meister as he tried to correct his shirt that was now inside out. Before she could get close enough Lyle paused and glanced over his shoulder with a curious expression.

"What are you doing Feldt? You aren't very sneaky."

Feldt's cheeks lit up quickly and she turned away from him, mortified. She gasped when Lyle grabbed her wrists and pulled her toward the bed. He sat down on the foot of it and stared up at her as she stood in front of him. He held onto her wrists firmly and Feldt felt more comfortable since they were almost eye to eye. She noticed that the jeans he still had on were unbuttoned and partially unzipped; causing her to inhale sharply.

"Feldt, I know you aren't comfortable when it comes to things like this. I want you to know that we can do whatever you want as long as you're okay with it. I like you, but I'm not going to push you."

Feldt's heart began pounding and her eyes shot from side to side as she tried to decide what she was going to do. She was terrified of trying to initiate anything with the sniper because she wasn't sure how and didn't want him to laugh and make fun of her.

"I don't…" she trailed off in an unsure voice.

Lyle gave her a warm smile, "Do you want me to show you?"

Feldt's mouth went dry and her pupils dilated. She also saw an immediate change in the man's eyes in front of her. They seemed to become a shade darker and glowed with something she couldn't identify. He looked like he wanted to attack her and it made her uneasy but excited at the same time. She silently nodded and Lyle pulled her down into his lap where he kissed the top of her head.

"We're going to take this slow, I don't want to hurt you," he whispered as he laid her down on the soft bed and hovered over her.

Feldt's chest heaved as an avalanche of emotions hit her at the same time. She felt fear but at the same time an intense want for the Irish Gundam meister. The pink haired girl let out a small gasp as Lyle reached for her shirt and began pulling it over her head. He threw it over his shoulder and stared down at her with a predatory grin. Feldt immediately tried to turn away and Lyle skillfully unclasped her bra and discarded it. The pink haired girl brought her arms up to cover herself. She couldn't believe how exposed she felt and was incredibly embarrassed.

Lyle grabbed one of her arms, "Stop it, don't be embarrassed, you're doing just fine."

Feldt's cheeks were burning and she reluctantly relaxed her arms and reached up; grabbing handfuls of the sniper's wavy hair.

"Perfect," he stated before dipping his head to begin his assault on her.

Feldt's eyes popped open as she recognized the feelings she was having. They were the same as the before when he had touched her. She had been waiting every day to experience them again and it was finally time. Feldt squeezed her fists and scratched at Lyle's scalp as he kissed up her neck with a satisfied grin; smiling against her skin.

**Lyle's Gaelic phrase in this chapter involves him clarifying the island Inishmore to be the group's destination. Then 'go raibh maith agat' literally means 'may you have a thousand good things', which is Gaelic for 'Thank you'.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Gundam00-nut: I love your reviews! Thank you!**

**Satoshi Asuno: Ah I'm sorry! I love Setsuna and Feldt as well, but I wanted to have a pairing that's not as common as the norm. Plus I'm slightly biased because Lyle is my favorite character XD. I have a feeling this chapter will make you feel better… eventually. **

**rijeayko: You aren't the only one saying they prefer Setsuna/Feldt. As I've said before, I'm doing something different here with a pairing that isn't normal. When I got the idea for this pairing it came to me in the form that Feldt and Lyle have both lost the person that was dearest to them so they've turned to each other. You've stayed with it up to this point, so this chapter will make you happy by the time it's over. **

**I'll say it now, my favorite cities in Ireland are Killarney and Derry… Derry completely amazes me, it's so rough because of all the troubles they've had there, but it's breathtaking!**

**Day Five!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or any of its characters! If I did I'd steal Lyle and marry him myself! :)**

A loud banging caused Feldt to bolt upright in bed with wide eyes. Her heart was hammering and she clutched the white bed sheets to her chest with parted lips. She blinked as she heard a groan next to her and stared down at a head of messy brown hair. She hesitantly reached out and touched the wavy locks with a sparkle in her eye and inhaled slightly at how soft it was. Feldt jumped when she heard the banging again and Lyle let out a growl next to her.

"Who the hell is knocking on our door?"

Feldt gasped when Lyle threw the sheets roughly off and stood up with a scowl. She stared at him with wide eyes and her mouth went dry at the sight of him not having any clothes on. The pink haired girl slowly looked down and lifted the sheets to see she didn't have anything on either. Her cheeks went scarlet and she gulped. It was obvious what they had done the night before and Feldt was no longer an innocent girl. The banging continued and Lyle pulled a pair of jeans on quickly while gritting his teeth. He walked swiftly to the door and yanked it open aggressively.

"_What_?"

Feldt leaned forward in the bed to see Allelujah and Tieria standing on the other side of the door with surprised expressions. She watched as they both looked from the shirtless Lockon Stratos to her obvious nude state in the single bed.

"What are you two doing?" Lyle asked in a lower voice as he gathered his composure upon seeing it was his comrades.

"We were wondering where you were, it's almost nine," Tieria told him dryly and peered around the sniper's shoulder, "But I see you were busy with something else."

"Tieria!" Allelujah exclaimed.

Tieria shrugged, "What? It's the truth."

"We've been _asleep_," Lyle flatly spoke.

"Because you stayed up _late_," Tieria added with a knowing look.

Allelujah looked from the innovade to the sniper and shook his head, "We wanted to make sure everything was okay."

Lyle looked over his shoulder, "Feldt, are we alright?"

The pink haired girl jumped and accidently let go of the sheet she was clutching to her chest. She let out a yelp and madly scrambled to pick it back up again. Allelujah cleared his throat with an uncomfortable look and Tieria averted his gaze with a small frown.

"I need a little vacation too, I can't be your tour guide twenty-four seven," Lyle replied lightly.

"Let's leave them alone," Allelujah said lowly as he started to back up.

"Agreed," Tieria replied.

Lyle rolled his eyes, "The damage is done thanks to you two, we're up now, so find something to occupy yourselves until we come downstairs."

Allelujah looked uncomfortable and Lyle leaned on the door and crossed his arms over his bare chest with a suggestive look.

"What are you acting so uptight for? Don't tell me you don't ever have any _fun_ with your lady friend."

Allelujah's jaw dropped and he looked to Tieria who shrugged with a huff.

"That's none of your business," Allelujah mumbled.

"I saw you two at the club, someone got lucky that night, didn't they?" Lyle grinned.

"Lockon!" Allelujah exclaimed as a light shade of scarlet appeared on his cheeks.

"No need to be shy about it," Lyle shrugged.

Allelujah swallowed dryly, "We'll see you downstairs."

Lyle laughed as the two meisters retreated quickly.

"I think I scared them off."

Feldt shook her head, "That wasn't very nice, putting Allelujah on the spot like that."

Lyle slammed the door and strode back to the bed where he sat down in front of Feldt with a crooked smile.

"Oh?"

Feldt nodded, "What him and Marie do is private."

Lyle resisted the urge to roll his eyes, "What we do is private too, but after that do you think it's going to stay that way?"

Feldt gasped, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that by the time we make it downstairs everyone will know what we've been up to."

"You make it sound bad."

Lyle shrugged, "Depends on how you look at it… we aren't officially dating, so some of them might think we're being inappropriate. Frankly, I don't care."

Feldt stared blankly at the sniper in front of her. She knew he was right when he said they weren't dating but it was hard to hear. She really liked Lyle and he had said he liked her too; wouldn't a relationship be the next step? The pink haired girl swallowed and she knew that there was a part of her that still liked Setsuna as well.

"You don't think it's wrong?" Feldt asked him in a quiet voice.

Lyle huffed, "No… You're happy aren't you? And I'm happy. We're filling the voids we've both been suffering from."

"Neil and Anew…" Feldt trailed off with sad eyes.

Lyle's eyebrows rose, "Don't get me wrong, I'm not implying that you're replacing Anew, we've already talked about this. I enjoy spending time with you because you're you, not because I'm lonely and wish Anew would come back."

Feldt nodded, "And I know you're not your brother… You two are completely different."

Lyle winked, "That's good to hear, the only thing that would make me happier was if you told me we looked nothing alike."

Feldt smiled meekly, "I'd be lying."

Lyle laughed, "I tried."

"So…" Feldt trailed off, "Since we aren't dating, does that mean you're going to be trying to pick other girls up?"

Lyle's blue eyes widened, "Where did that come from? Would you be jealous?"

Feldt looked at him with a small smile, "Maybe a little."

Lyle shrugged, "I don't plan on going after any girls. I didn't plan on doing anything with another girl ever again after Anew died."

Feldt swallowed, "Do you regret it?"

Lyle ran his fingers through his wavy hair, "Nah, I don't at all."

"I'm glad."

"Now, speaking of jealousy… You'd better watch out for Setsuna, he's going to realize he made a mistake eventually," Lyle told her and added, "He'll roll in and try to sweep you off of your feet and steal you away."

Feldt gulped and a nervous feeling welled inside of her. She wasn't sure she'd be able to say no to the Krugis meister if he did such a thing. Lyle made it clear they weren't dating so if something were to happen it technically wouldn't be cheating.

"I know we aren't together, and it's your choice to do what you want," Lyle told her, "But I like what we've got going on here and I'm not ready to give it up yet."

"Is it really okay to have a relationship like this?" Feldt asked seriously, feeling at a loss.

"Do you want more?" Lyle asked curiously.

"I'm not sure yet," Feldt mumbled in reply.

"Exactly, so we'll keep it this way from now on. You've only ever been with me, so how do you know that you wouldn't prefer someone else?"

Feldt's eyes widened, "But!"

Lyle shook his head, "I'm not going to leave you hanging high and dry… I'll always be here."

Feldt was at a loss for words. Basically Lyle was telling her to experiment with other people so she would know if she really wanted to be with him. It was a hard pill for her to swallow and it almost felt like she was being rejected. He put her at ease quickly with a tight embrace before standing up and heading to the bathroom. She bit her lip lightly as his warmth disappeared and she heard the shower start. Feldt swallowed dryly and pulled the sheets off of her legs. She looked down at her nude form and blushed instantly. She inhaled sharply and told herself there was nothing to be embarrassed about as Lyle had seen everything the previous night. He had told her she was perfect so there was no need to be ashamed of showing her body to him.

Feldt heard the sound of sliding glass and she peered through the cracked bathroom door to see Lyle's form already under the steaming water.

"Lyle?" she squeaked out.

"Yeah?" he called out as he lathered his hair with shampoo.

"I want to get in the shower too," Feldt spoke in a shaky voice.

"I'll be done in a minute, hold on," Lyle replied loudly over the running water.

Feldt took a few hesitant steps into the steamy room until she was standing at the door to the shower with her arms crossed over her chest. With a knot in her stomach she reached for the door handle as her fingers trembled. The systems engineer pulled and the glass slid slowly as her pupils dilated. Lyle spun around quickly with widened blue eyes. His hair was dark brown and soaked as the water ran down his muscular body. Soap bubbles slid down his chest and the pair stared at each other for a few silent seconds.

"Feldt?" he finally asked.

"I want to get in the shower," she repeated her earlier statement.

"_Now_?" Lyle asked incredulously.

Feldt nodded with doe eyes and blinked up at the sniper who was staring at her with a dumbfounded expression.

"In one night you go from being an innocent little girl to this… what a surprise," Lyle couldn't help but chuckle as he held his hand out.

Feldt grabbed it, his skin hot and slippery from the soap. She stepped into the small shower and slid the door closed behind her.

"You know showers aren't _just_ for hygiene," Lyle said playfully as he pushed her up against the tile wall.

Feldt yelped as he pressed his body flush against hers and crushed her mouth with a searing kiss. She reached up and touched his waterlogged hair that was hanging heavily on his head.

"Don't we need to get downstairs?" Feldt asked the sniper breathlessly.

"They can wait, we've got something a bit more important to worry about."

Feldt blushed as he spoke and pressed his body harder against hers. She could instantly feel what was so _important _for the sniper at the moment.

…..

"Are they okay?" Marie questioned as she looked up from her seat in the hotel lobby.

"They're fine," Tieria bluntly said.

"What are they doing then?" Setsuna asked as he glanced at the clock.

Allelujah's eyes shot to the side and he frowned while Tieria inhaled and let out an irritated huff as he crossed his arms. Marie watched the two meisters suspiciously and closed the magazine she had been reading.

"What did you two do?"

"We didn't do anything!" Allelujah exclaimed quickly with raised eyebrows.

"Something is making you both act weird," Marie told them.

"They were busy," Tieria said, "They'll be down soon."

"Busy?" Setsuna asked.

Tieria's eyebrow twitched, "Do you need me to _elaborate_?"

Setsuna narrowed his eyes but said nothing.

"I'll take that as a yes…" Tieria spoke lowly.

"Tieria don't," Allelujah immediately said.

Marie's golden eyes flickered with recognition, "Oh…"

Allelujah sighed in relief and Tieria huffed, "Glad someone figured it out."

"I wondered how long it was going to take for that to happen," Marie said, "I can't say I'm surprised."

"Did Feldt talk with you?" Allelujah asked.

"A little, yes," Marie nodded.

Setsuna was silent as he assessed the situation. He wasn't sure what to make of it and scowled at the three around him as they talked. The Krugis meister was growing irritated when he glanced up to see Lyle and Feldt walking toward them. The moment he saw them he finally realized what the others had been talking about.

"They're lovers now?" he mumbled lowly to himself with a hint of disbelief in his voice.

"It's about time," Tieria said to them as they approached.

"So are you two dating now, or what?" Allelujah blurted as the curiosity ate away at him.

"Dating? No," Lyle replied with a mischievous grin.

"You aren't?" Marie asked, slightly surprised.

"How about you guys quit worrying about my relationship status," Lyle shrugged casually, "I'm not saying anything. If you want answers, ask Feldt, but she's not obligated to tell you either."

All eyes went to the pink haired engineer and she visibly shrank. Her gaze shot to the floor and she fidgeted nervously.

"Leave her alone," Setsuna spoke up with a frown and added, "She doesn't have to tell us anything."

Feldt heaved a sigh of relief as everyone turned away from her. Why did she feel guilty and indecent? The pink haired girl swallowed dryly and couldn't help but notice the uneasy feeling rising in her gut. Was having a physical relationship with Lyle immoral when they weren't technically dating? It wasn't like she was cheating on anyone with him and he wasn't cheating on someone else. They were both single and without partners, so was it still wrong?

….

"This river pretty much has always divided the city," Lyle pointed.

The group was standing up on a hill with stone walls that had chain linked fences and barbed wire reaching to the sky. They were able to look out across Derry where a river split the city in half.

"The Catholics live on this side, and the Protestants live on the other… they don't get along too well," Lyle said as he leaned against the fence.

"This barbed wire is pretty hostile looking," Marie commented as she eyed the gruesome spirals above her head.

Feldt turned to see a gate down the road that had thick metal spikes sticking off of the top of it and she frowned.

"This place is called the walled city…" Allelujah trailed off and Tieria gave him a curious glance.

"I was reading one of those Ireland tour books on our drive yesterday to pass the time," Allelujah said with a look of embarrassment.

"I saw you reading it," Feldt commented.

"They still fight here, don't they?" Setsuna asked as he looked down at the quiet city.

Lyle nodded, "It's not as bad as it used to be, but there are still riots and fights where people get killed."

"Derry is such a strange name," Feldt muttered.

Lyle gave her a grin, "About the name, if you're from the north or England you call it _London_derry. Everybody else calls it Derry… some people get really offended about the naming."

Tieria raised his eyebrows, "Which is it then?"

Lyle shrugged, "There's no right answer. They've been fighting over an official name for a long time."

"Interesting…" Tieria trailed off.

"This is the only completely walled city in Ireland, if they wanted they could close all these gates… nobody in, nobody out," Lyle pointed at a giant stone gate with a metal door coated in spikes.

Feldt crossed her arms at the thought of being locked into a walled city as fights broke out. She pulled her jacket tighter around her body and shivered. The pink haired girl glanced around to see that the others didn't seem to be bothered. Setsuna had grown up as a child guerilla soldier so she wasn't surprised by his lack of reaction.

"These people pledge their allegiance to the Queen, do they not?" Tieria questioned.

"Yeah, you won't see many Irish flags flying up here in the north," Lyle responded as he glanced up to a Union Jack flapping on a flagpole.

"So we're basically in a miniature England," Setsuna spoke.

"Sort of," Lyle stated with a bored expression as he checked the time.

"Oh, _now_ you're concerned with time?" Tieria asked with a hint of sarcasm and added, "That wasn't the case this morning."

Lyle's eyebrow twitched and started walking without a response. Feldt followed after him quickly and the others trailed at a distance.

"Where are we going?"

Lyle reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette; lighting it quickly. He puffed on it for a few seconds before giving her a wink.

"We're headed to Belfast, I want to check out my school and see if anything has changed."

Feldt frowned as cloud of smoke hit her in the face but she said nothing. She nodded in response and grabbed the passenger door handle once they reached the van. The pink haired girl started to open the door when Lyle gave her a light tap on her rear as he passed by. Feldt bolted upright rigidly with wide eyes and Lyle let out a laugh at her response. Her cheeks lit up and she quickly got into the vehicle; slamming the door as her heart hammered in her chest. The engineer looked over her shoulder at Setsuna who was staring at her with narrowed chestnut eyes. The pink haired girl turned around quickly with a frown. She was feeling torn once again… she liked Lyle, but she still had feelings for Setsuna as well.

…

"You guys can wander around this area, it's safe. I'm going to head off for a bit and will be back in a couple hours."

Feldt watched as Lyle gave them all a wave and started driving away.

"Where's he off to?" Allelujah questioned.

Feldt stood next to Setsuna and replied, "He told me yesterday he wanted to go to his old school."

"What are we going to do then?" Marie asked.

"I feel as though we've been duped…" Tieria trailed off as his crimson eyes wandered the concrete street where people were walking.

"Don't worry about it, let's look around," Allelujah said in a relaxed tone as he grabbed Marie's hand.

The rest of the group fell in line behind the two super soldiers and began walking down the sidewalk as cars zoomed by on the street. Feldt looked around with wide green eyes and noticed that Setsuna seemed to be on her heels. She glanced over her shoulder to see that his face looked pensive and she frowned.

"Belfast Harbor…" Marie trailed off as she read one of the signs pointing at the next corner.

"It appears to be a historical spot," Tieria said as he cupped his chin.

Feldt followed after the others as they turned the corner in the direction of the harbor. She looked over her shoulder again to see Setsuna trailing after her with a slight frown on his face.

"Setsuna, are you alright?"

The black haired meister's eyes shot up and a look of surprise washed over him. He quickly regained his composure and cleared his throat.

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine…" Feldt said quietly.

"I've been thinking."

"About what?" Feldt asked immediately after he spoke.

Setsuna looked up to see the harbor in the distance and the blue sea water stretching out to the horizon. He let out a sigh and picked up the pace until he was walking next to the pink haired engineer. Feldt's heart started pounding and she stared at the ground as they moved. She was suddenly feeling nervous and didn't know how to act around the man next to her. Feldt knew at that moment that there was no way she would ever be able to rid her heart of its feelings for Setsuna. She still had the burning urge to love him and care for him since he had been deprived of it for his entire life. The pink haired girl felt a great sadness at the thought of how Setsuna was always alone. She wanted to change that and be someone for him to lean on when he felt like everything was falling apart around him; she'd be his rock.

"Look at those ships!" Marie said in awe at the giant vessels floating.

"This has been here for centuries," Tieria remarked as he eyed a historical sign that showed the area becoming a major harbor during the 17th century.

Feldt was silent as she waited for Setsuna to respond to her earlier question. She looked over to see that he was walking away from the group to a railing that overlooked the breezy harbor. The pink haired girl turned to look at the other three members of her group and Marie gave her a sympathetic smile. Feldt swallowed dryly and immediately turned to follow after Setsuna.

"What are those two doing?" Tieria asked with narrowed eyes as he watched Setsuna and Feldt in the distance.

Allelujah shrugged, "Beats me."

Marie let out a sigh, "Setsuna must want to talk to her about something. He doesn't want an audience."

"Didn't he turn her down when she said she liked him?" Allelujah questioned.

Marie nodded, "He did, but I don't think he fully understood what she was telling him. Maybe seeing her so close to Lockon triggered something."

"Jealousy, obviously," Tieria stated.

"Setsuna never seemed to be the type to be interested in girls," Allelujah said.

"That's because he's too busy obsessing over the double O," Tieria returned.

Allelujah crossed his arms, "He's always been that way. The first time he saw Exia he was frozen solid staring at it for hours."

"Setsuna and Lockon are incredibly different," Marie mumbled thoughtfully.

"What has she said to you?" Allelujah asked.

"I'm not discussing it with you, but I'm not up to date on the newest information. I'm wondering what's going on like you are."

Tieria frowned, "Lockon said this morning that they weren't dating. He seemed pretty evasive when it came to questions involving a relationship."

"True," Allelujah nodded, "If she's in his room sleeping in his bed naked and they aren't dating… what kind of a relationship is that?"

Tieria wrinkled his nose, "One that I'd rather not think about."

"Do you think that they're just doing _that_?" Allelujah asked with slightly widened eyes.

Tieria shook his head, "I doubt that it's that simple."

"I wonder if Feldt still wants to be with Setsuna..." Marie trailed off.

"That would make Lockon her second choice, wouldn't it?"

Tieria glared at Allelujah, "Once again, I _doubt_ it's that simple."

….

"Feldt, about what I said when we were at the hotel bar that evening…" Setsuna trailed off awkwardly.

Feldt's eyes widened and she was surprised he was bringing it up again. Her heart was beating quickly and a nervous feeling welled up in her gut as she stared at the meister next to her.

"I never meant to say that you would be a hindrance when it came to carrying out my duty as a Gundam meister."

Feldt inhaled sharply at his words as she remembered what he had said to her that night. The Krugis meister basically told her that a relationship was silly because it would only get in the way and cause problems. She stared at him in silence and waited for him to continue.

"I'm not good at talking about those types of things and my words didn't portray what I was thinking," Setsuna said with a blank look.

"What are you trying to say?" Feldt whispered.

Setsuna let out a heavy sigh, "I never gave much thought to a relationship with someone. My goal was to eradicate war as a Gundam meister of Celestial Being, nothing else mattered. After we spoke that night I did a lot of thinking and I've realized that you've always been there for me even if I haven't acknowledged it."

"Everyone on the ship is my family," Feldt said in a soft voice, "I try to be there for them all."

Setsuna nodded, "I know, and it's really an admirable thing."

Feldt's cheeks grew warm and she turned so the cool breeze could hit her skin.

"When I see you with someone else it makes me angry," Setsuna suddenly stated with a serious look.

Feldt's body tensed and she hesitantly looked at the man next to her who had burning chestnut eyes. Her lips were parted as though she was going to speak but she found herself at a loss for words.

"You and Lockon… you're together now aren't you?"

Feldt shook her head, "No! Didn't you hear him this morning, we aren't dating."

Setsuna narrowed his eyes, "I heard him, but that doesn't mean anything. You've been _together_."

Feldt inhaled sharply, suddenly feeling upset. She felt like Setsuna was scolding her for her decision to have sex with Lyle. He had no right to judge her when she made it clear to him that she wanted to be with _him_. He denied her and she briefly moved on.

Feldt pursed her lips, "We have… I didn't think you wanted anything to do with me, and Lyle was there. He and I have a lot of things in common that we've suffered with… it was a mutual gain."

Setsuna squeezed the steel railing that his gloved hands were wrapped around. He looked away from the engineer next to him and took a deep breath. Talking about his feelings was extremely difficult and it was something that the Krugis meister had little experience doing.

"I'm not really sure what to say."

Feldt watched in surprise as Setsuna suddenly looked nervous.

The meister leaned on the railing in front of him and dropped his head, "Is what you told me that night still true?"

Feldt's jaw dropped slightly, "That… that I like you?"

Setsuna nodded curtly, "Yes."

Feldt crossed her arms tightly over her chest as feelings warred inside of her. She had developed a pretty close relationship with Lyle in a short time. Her first time had been with him and she felt bonded to the Irish meister, but did she _love _him? Feldt shook her head, if she loved him she'd know it and inside she knew that her heart only belonged to one person… and that was Setsuna.

….

"This place hasn't changed much," Lyle spoke lowly as he stared through the iron bars of a tall fence surrounding his old boarding school.

The Irish meister reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a cigarette. He flicked the lighter dial in his other hand until a small flame sprang forth and he held it to the stick hanging from his lips. Lyle took a deep drag and blew a cloud of grey smoke out with a satisfied sigh. He started walking down the cement sidewalk and made his way to the giant metal barred front gate. It was as haughty as ever but he stared fondly up at the grotesque gate that reminded him of his schoolboy years. He could remember running around these grounds with his buddies all clad in their uniforms. Lyle took another deep drag and finished his cigarette; throwing it to the ground and stomping on the embers. He blew the remaining smoke over his shoulder and then glanced down at his watch. He had been gone for an hour but decided he wasn't ready to return to the others yet. The meister began humming an old Irish folk song as he continued his walk down the street with a relaxed expression on his face.

….

"Setsuna… I do, I still do," Feldt said with a desperate expression as her emotions poured out.

Setsuna's dark eyebrows rose and he stared at the girl next to him; his expression softening.

"You're incredibly special to me, I'd never forget about you," Feldt told him, close to tears.

Setsuna immediately noticed how hard she was gripping the metal railing and he reached out with a hesitant hand; placing it on her forearm. Feldt froze and faced Setsuna, tears welling up in her eyes. Without a second thought she flung her arms around him; pressing her face tightly into his chest. Setsuna awkwardly wrapped his arms around her with a stunned expression; he really had no idea how to act.

"I love you Setsuna and I want to give you so much. I want you to be happy," Feldt cried into his shirt.

"Happy?" Setsuna whispered with wide chestnut eyes.

Feldt pulled back and looked up at the meister with glistening green eyes, "Yes, you deserve to be happy."

"I…" Setsuna trailed off.

Feldt shook her head, "You've spent your entire life by yourself without anyone to rely on. You've always relied on yourself. You deserve to know what it's like to be loved and cared for."

"Don't you deserve the same?" Setsuna asked.

Feldt sighed, "That's not important."

Setsuna gripped the pink haired girl's arms, "It _is_ important. I don't know if I can give you what you need. I'm not sure if I can return those feelings because I don't know how."

"I can teach you," Feldt told him quickly.

…

"Are you guys watching this?" Allelujah asked as he stared at Setsuna and Feldt from a distance.

"How could we not…" Tieria mumbled.

"What do you think this means?" Allelujah asked as he turned to Marie.

The super soldier narrowed her golden eyes at the couple and sighed, "I'm not sure… "

"Setsuna is using this as a perfect opportunity to move in since Lockon is gone," Tieria stated.

"You think so? I thought Setsuna turned Feldt down, why has he suddenly changed his mind?"

Tieria turned to Allelujah, "_Jealousy_, I said that earlier."

"I wonder what Lockon will think about this," Marie wondered.

"He made it clear they weren't together, maybe this is his way of getting rid of her… she could be troublesome in his eyes," Tieria answered.

"Troublesome?" Marie asked.

"She _is_ a lot younger than him," Allelujah mentioned.

"That doesn't mean anything," Marie shook her head.

"I doubt Lockon viewed her as troublesome," Allelujah then said, "He wouldn't have slept with her if the thought that."

Tieria huffed, "I guess you could look at it that way."

Marie elbowed Allelujah who turned quickly in surprise to see Setsuna and Feldt approaching them.

"Are you guys alright?" Allelujah asked them quickly to cover up the fact they had just been talking about the pair.

"We're fine," Setsuna answered promptly.

Tieria looked down to see Feldt had her arm interlinked with the Krugis meister's and the innovade narrowed his crimson eyes.

"Should we head back?" Feldt spoke up in a quiet voice, her eyes downcast.

"Right… we don't want to keep Lockon waiting for too long," Allelujah nodded.

At the mention of Lyle's codename, Feldt's eyes widened slightly. Her body visibly tensed and Setsuna glanced down at her with a blank expression.

…

"Where were you?" Tieria questioned with an irritated voice.

Lyle shrugged, "Sorry, I lost track of time."

"Lost track of a couple hours? We've been waiting for you," Tieria spat back.

"Take it easy, it's not a big deal," Lyle tossed his head, "I'm here now so let's get going."

Feldt stayed back with Setsuna and looked up at the meister with worried eyes. She swallowed nervously and stared at the empty passenger seat.

"I'll talk with him tonight…" Feldt said quietly.

"Are you sure about this? He can probably give you more emotionally than I can," Setsuna replied.

Feldt shook her head, "You're the one who I've always wanted to be with. Please don't worry about what you can and can't do."

"Do what you want," Setsuna stated.

Feldt walked away from him and got into the waiting vehicle. She glanced over at Lyle who was already sitting in the driver's seat. Feldt inhaled deeply, she hoped that she could keep her friendship with the sniper. She had grown to really enjoy his company and it would be a shame if they lost the ability to be close friends.

…

"What's up Feldt? You seem kind of down," Lyle remarked as they walked to their room that evening after dinner.

Feldt found herself unable to speak as they arrived at their door. Lyle wordlessly swiped the card and the door clicked open.

"Tell me what's going on, did you get mugged again or something?" Lyle asked.

Feldt sat down on the edge of the bed and shook her head, "No, it's nothing like that."

Lyle raised his eyebrows skeptically and waited for the engineer to elaborate.

"I… I talked to Setsuna today," Feldt started shakily.

Lyle huffed and leaned back against the wall with his arms folded. He watched her intently with his bright blue eyes and when she didn't speak he shifted impatiently.

"So you two had a grand resolution and it turns out he really loves you, huh?"

Feldt's eyes widened at Lyle's words and she gulped.

"Not exactly."

"Then spit it out, what are you trying to say?" Lyle asked.

"We aren't _together_, right?" Feldt asked.

"I said that this morning, haven't we had this conversation?"

Feldt nodded, "We have, but I was making sure."

"You sound relieved," Lyle said shortly.

"Please don't be mad," Feldt said urgently.

"Be mad about what? You still like that kid don't you? You liked him long before I came into the picture. We've only been familiar with each other for five days now."

Feldt sighed, "I love him, I always have."

Lyle couldn't help but give her a sympathetic smile, "I know the feeling, you can't shake it… Just like I'm sure you still love my brother and I still love Anew."

Feldt squeezed her eyes shut tightly, "But I don't love _you_."

The pink haired girl was tensed tightly, waiting for a reaction from the older man. She waited and slowly opened one eye to see Lyle laughing silently to himself.

"I don't love you either Feldt, it's not a big deal."

"How can you be so carefree about it?" Feldt asked in astonishment, "I thought you'd be mad."

"We _slept_ together… that doesn't mean we have to be together and be madly in love. People have sex all the time, you were thinking too much into it."

Feldt suddenly felt empty and her face fell.

Lyle put his hands up, "Hey now, I'm not saying it was some meaningless experience where I got a quick fix for the night. It was your first time and I hope it was special for you."

Feldt blinked and gave Lyle a warm smile, "It was, you were very patient and understanding, thank you."

"It's nothing, what are friends for?" he winked with an amused grin.

"So we can still be friends?"

"I'll be offended if we aren't," Lyle shot back.

Feldt let out a sigh of relief, "That makes me feel better."

Lyle watched the young girl in front of him with a smile. He had enjoyed their short tryst and was glad he got to know her better. The Irish meister knew he had made an irreplaceable friend during their trip that would last once they were back on the Ptolemy. He knew from the beginning that Setsuna was a better match for the engineer than he was. He was a lot older than she was and his heart only belonged to one woman. It would be cruel to string her along. Lyle had gently led her through her first intimate experience which left her with the knowledge she would need for future relationships; especially for one with Setsuna. As the Irishman stared down at Feldt he instantly knew that she would be a good thing for Setsuna. Maybe she could teach him how to be more of a regular 21 year old instead of someone who only knew fighting and pain.

"So… about this single bed," Lyle suddenly said with a sheepish smile.

Feldt's cheeks flushed, "Oh! I didn't think about that."

Lyle stared at the floor with a deflated look, he really didn't want to have to sleep on it.

"We're friends right? It's not a big deal if we sleep in the same bed," Feldt said.

Lyle's eyebrows rose in interest, "You're okay with it? Even after what we've done?"

Feldt shrugged, "As long as you stay dressed we shouldn't have any problems."

Lyle let out a laugh, "Sounds like a plan."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thanks to my readers and reviewers, I apologize if things seem slightly confusing. What can I say, Lyle's a complex guy so his motives are uncertain at this point.**

**Mimisao: I understand what you mean about the motive and I apologize. Lyle's protectiveness is due to the fact he feels very close to Feldt since they've experienced similar things. They have become close friends in a short period of time and he wants to protect that relationship. They did go past the friendship level and I meant for that to happen… what do you expect when you're staying in the same room with an attractive guy? He saw Setsuna break her heart that evening and things just happened to play out the way they did. They're mutually attracted to one another, but Feldt only loves Setsuna and Lyle only loves Anew, so that's where things are now. I don't want to say too much as I'm pretty sure more of it will be explained as the story continues. :)**

**Satoshi Asuno: Glad you liked it! **

**Rijeayko: I'm glad you liked it also! And I'm totally sad for Lyle! But he's such a cool cat, he just does his own thing, I'm sure he'll be okay ;)**

**SP00K: You always have my thanks! **

**This chapter is going to be a shorty, so I apologize in advance that it isn't as big as the last few I have written!**

**Continuation of Day Five, now it's night time.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or any of its characters! I'm merely playing with them!**

"What the hell are you two doing down here?"

Tieria and Allelujah turned to see Lyle walking into the hotel bar. It was late and Lyle had left his room after Feldt fell asleep. He needed to go out and clear his head; so he decided a few drinks would help. Allelujah glanced up through the dim light at a clock hanging on the wall and squinted at it.

"Shoot, I didn't realize it was this late, Marie is probably wondering where I'm at," the super soldier mumbled with a frown.

"She's probably asleep," Tieria stated, "You told her you were coming down here with me so I doubt she cares."

"Are you two going to ignore me or answer my question?" Lyle asked impatiently.

One of Tieria's elegant eyebrows perked up, "You're in an irritable mood, did something happen?"

"Tch, lay off," Lyle huffed as he sat down heavily on a bar stool and waved the bartender over with an exhausted expression.

The Irish sniper scowled as the bartender approached and asked him what he would like to drink.

"Something strong… whiskey on the rocks," Lyle stated dryly.

Allelujah and Tieria exchanged quick glances before turning their attention back to their fellow meister. Lyle reached out and grabbed his drink, downing it quickly before slamming the glass on the counter.

"So are you going to tell us what's bothering you or not? Because if you aren't, I'm going back to my room," Tieria spat shortly.

Allelujah shook his head at Tieria's bluntness and reached out to Lyle. He placed a hand on the Irishman's shoulder with a sympathetic smile.

"What's going on Lockon? Something is up."

Lyle huffed and stood up, "I need to go outside."

Allelujah and Tieria watched him leave the room and the pair immediately stood up to follow him. When they exited the building to the darkened streets they saw Lyle leaning against the front of the hotel under a glowing street lamp. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it swiftly with a scowl. He shoved the stick between his lips and puffed on it angrily.

"I'm not begging for an explanation," Tieria hissed at Allelujah with narrowed crimson eyes as they approached the sniper.

"Settle down, I'll do all the talking," Allelujah told the innovade.

Lyle blew out a cloud of smoke and glanced up at the starry sky with lonely blue eyes. He couldn't help but think of Anew as he looked up at the night sky and thought about being back in space. The Irishman truly wanted to be alone. It was late and he had hoped to come down to the bar and slam a few back in private but apparently the luck of the Irish wasn't with him that night.

"You two still tagging along after me?" Lyle asked with a distant expression as he lifted his cigarette to his lips.

"If one of us was having a problem you'd be there, so now we're here for you, _right Tieria_?" Allelujah said and then asked the innovade expectantly.

Tieria's eyebrows shot up and then he frowned, "_Sure_."

Lyle let out a light chuckle, "I guess you're right."

Tieria folded his arms, "I'm going to take a guess and say that something happened with Feldt."

At the mention of the systems engineer's name Lyle's face fell slightly and Tieria's assumption was confirmed.

"We thought something was off today when you left," Allelujah said.

Lyle wrinkled his eyebrows, "What do you mean?"

"Setsuna and Feldt went off together for a while," Tieria answered mechanically.

"Off together?"

Allelujah quickly interjected, "They didn't do anything, we could still see them. They were talking to each other for a while and Setsuna looked really serious."

Tieria huffed, "When _doesn't_ he look serious?"

"I could say the same thing about you," Allelujah shot back.

The violet haired meister let out a growl and Lyle motioned with his hands for both of them to calm down.

"Take it easy guys," he told them.

"Idiot," Tieria muttered under his breath with a sideways glance.

"Feldt decided she wants to be with Setsuna," Lyle suddenly spoke up.

Allelujah and Tieria went silent and watched the Irish meister with blank expressions.

"She said that she likes me, but she doesn't love me… she loves _him_."

Tieria tapped his chin, "Interesting, she seemed pretty enamored with you in my opinion."

Lyle shrugged, "I thought so too."

Allelujah frowned, "Did you really like her Lockon?"

"Sure I liked her," Lyle sputtered out, "We got close pretty fast… christ, I was the first person she slept with."

Both Allelujah and Tieria's faces changed to expressions of shock and surprise.

"Are you sure you should be telling us that?" Tieria questioned.

Lyle shrugged, "What does it matter? I'm pretty sure all of you figured out what she and I were up to."

"That's true…" Tieria trailed off, "It was an easy conclusion to come to."

"She's a good girl," Lyle nodded, "I guess I should be happy I had the opportunity to spend the time I did with her."

"Do you love her?"

Lyle paused and looked at Allelujah with a bizarre expression, "What?"

"Do you _love_ her?" Allelujah resaid slowly.

Lyle cleared his throat, "The only woman I've ever loved was Anew."

"Obviously this girl is special to you too or you wouldn't be so upset," Tieria told him.

"Who are you to give me relationship advice?" Lyle grumbled.

"Mileina likes him," Allelujah shrugged innocently.

Lyle rolled his eyes, "What is she, twelve?"

Tieria curled his lip in a snarl, "_No_."

Allelujah couldn't help but let out a nervous laugh, "Let's get back to the real topic."

Lyle threw his cigarette to the ground and smashed it with the heel of his boot and pulled out another; lighting it.

"So did Feldt tell you she wanted to be with Setsuna?" Allelujah asked.

Lyle shrugged, "Basically. It's not a big deal, I can handle it. I told myself that I'd never be with another woman after Anew died so this was probably for the better."

Tieria shook his head, "You're an idiot. You still have a long life ahead, are you going to deprive yourself of meaningful relationships for the rest of it?"

Lyle's eyes widened at Tieria's statement and he frowned. He wasn't depriving himself of anything because didn't want a relationship in the first place.

"Feldt is a young girl, it's better for her to be with someone who is closer to her age like Setsuna. I knew that in the end there would be nothing between us. My initial goal was to give Feldt a push so she would take the initiative to be with the guy she liked. I guess things got a little out of control and I didn't stay neutral in the situation like I planned," Lyle explained, "I ended up liking her myself, and now look at me."

"That's nothing to be ashamed of," Allelujah said, "I think anyone in your situation would have had the same thing happen, that doesn't make you weak."

"You two were mutually attracted to each other, it wasn't one sided," Tieria added.

Lyle laughed, "I know, but I can't help that it stings a little to know I got beaten out by a younger guy… Guess I'm getting old."

"You aren't old!" Allelujah exclaimed.

"I'm almost thirty…" Lyle trailed off.

"Your age has nothing to do with it," Tieria rolled his eyes, "That's ridiculous."

"Says the guy who looks the same year after year," Lyle shot back.

"Feldt knew Setsuna long before you Lockon," Allelujah said.

"I know, I know, she loved my brother, then when he died she was devastated and eventually fell in love with Setsuna. Blah, blah, I know the story."

"You two didn't have the most positive introduction…" Tieria trailed off.

"That's because she kept following me around and watching me."

"She couldn't help it, you're identical to the first Lockon," Tieria said lowly.

Lyle blew out a sharp cloud of smoke, "Don't remind me. I taught her a lesson, she knew after I kissed her forcefully that I wasn't Neil and that's what I wanted."

"Are you going to try and steal her back from Setsuna?" Allelujah asked.

Lyle shook his head, "Nah, I don't have the energy for something like that. She can do what she wants, as long as she's happy."

"You're content being friends and watching her with another guy?" Tieria questioned.

Lyle flicked his cigarette to the ground with his fingers and chuckled, "I guess so."

"That's the carefree Lockon I know," Allelujah smiled in relief.

"I think I needed some fresh air to clear my head," Lyle sighed, "The time I had with Feldt was fun, but she deserves to be with who she's happiest with… if that's some emotionless guy with no sense of humor that's up to her."

Lyle shoved his hands in his jacket pockets and walked in between Allelujah and Tieria who turned to follow after him. They went back inside where Lyle stood by the staircase and let out a heavy sigh.

"I hope you don't have a problem being my roomie Tieria, because I have a feeling that we're going to be paired up the rest of the way out," Lyle said.

Tieria shrugged, "I suppose it's alright. You'll certainly be more entertaining than Setsuna."

Allelujah saw the time on the clock in the lounge and winced, "I really should be getting back to Marie."

"I think we all need to get some rest," Lyle said as he started walking up the stairs after Allelujah.

Tieria followed closely behind the Irish meister and the trio made their way up to the floor that their rooms were on.

"Even though I was annoyed with you two at first, I'm kind of glad I talked to you," Lyle said to his fellow meisters.

"It's not a big deal, I'm relieved you're alright," Allelujah said and added, "Don't worry about the fact that Feldt chose a guy who is younger than you. To be honest it's her loss."

"Trying to make the reject feel better, thanks a lot," Lyle spoke sarcastically.

"You _are_ the one who announced you two weren't dating which made her fair game for Setsuna," Tieria reminded the Irishman.

"Yeah I know… Look, the girl had never been with another guy. She needed to branch out and see what life has to offer. I was teaching her a lesson."

Tieria and Allelujah glanced at each other and looked back to the sniper who shrugged, "It's all going to be fine. I prefer not to be tied down, that way I can do what I want, when I want."

Tieria shook his head with a small smile and Allelujah let out a laugh as Lyle swiped his room key. The door clicked and he gave his comrades a quick wink before entering his room.

"What a guy," Allelujah said with a tired smile.

"He's an idiot," Tieria stated.

**A/N: Alright that was a short chapter, but I wanted to make sure I was able to fit something like this in before moving on with the story. Plus I'm super busy with school, so it would take me ages to pump out a big chapter for you all. I imagine you'd like a small chapter more than nothing at all. :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thanks for the great reviews and thanks for sticking with me as the updates slow due to my college semester! **

**First part of Day 6! I'm splitting it into two chapters so there will be extra updates since I don't have as much time to write with school going on!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam 00 or any of its characters.**

"Dublin is so busy!" Feldt said in a surprised tone as she watched the city buildings roll by from her passenger seat window.

Lyle glanced at the girl next to him wordlessly before returning his blue eyes back to the narrow road in front of him. He wasn't quite sure how to act around Feldt yet so he was keeping a little distance between them until he figured out what was going on. They pulled up in front of their hotel and Lyle threw the van into park.

"Hurry up and get out, I can't stay on the side of the road for long," he told them with a rushed wave.

The Dublin streets were multilane and incredibly narrow. Cars and buses zoomed recklessly around and Feldt's eyes grew wide as she hesitated. The others clamored out of the vehicle quickly and Feldt looked from Setsuna who was standing outside of the van to Lyle who was staring at her with raised eyebrows.

"Go on Feldt, I've got to find a place to park."

The pink haired girl nodded with a swallow and hopped out onto the cement sidewalk. Setsuna watched her with dark brown eyes before turning as Lyle hit the accelerator and the van jerked back onto the road. The group watched him disappear down the street and turned to look at their hotel. It was tall and had a large amount of glass on the outside instead of solid walls which made it practically see through.

"I wonder what we'll be subjected to today," Tieria muttered as he glanced up at a giant clock hanging on one of the nearby buildings.

"That was a long drive from Derry, it's late afternoon now so I'm not sure what we've got time for," Allelujah shrugged and added, "It's hard to believe we leave tomorrow."

"Back to work…" Feldt trailed off with a small frown.

"It's necessary," Setsuna told her.

Feldt nodded slowly, "I know that, but I enjoy seeing everyone relaxed and enjoying themselves."

"We enjoy ourselves in space… don't we?" Allelujah glanced at Marie with a smile.

The super soldier gave him a warm smile, "I think so."

"We have to continue fighting," Setsuna stated, "If we stopped, no one would be able to enjoy peaceful times like this."

"He's right," Tieria confirmed.

"We are Celestial Being, and that will never change," Setsuna gave the innovade a curt nod.

…

"I'm going out tonight, you guys can do what you want," Lyle said to the other meisters while Feldt and Marie were inside of one of the stores.

The guys stood outside at a street corner and waited for the two ladies to emerge. Tieria had his arms folded and let out a light snort.

"Aren't you getting a little old to go out and _party_ your sorrows away?"

Lyle narrowed his eyes at the violet haired man as Setsuna watched the sniper with a hint of curiosity.

"How about you learn to be a bit more _discreet_," Lyle growled out.

Allelujah shook his head with a tired sigh, "Knock it off you two, weren't you getting along just fine last night?"

"It's a new day," Tieria spat.

Lyle narrowed his eyes, "It certainly is."

"You can't possibly think you'll be able to room together," Allelujah told them.

Setsuna's eyebrows rose slowly, "Why would they room together?"

Lyle glared daggers at Allelujah and Tieria looked bored with the situation.

"Don't give me that, it was going to come up this evening anyway," Allelujah said with a frown.

Lyle turned to Setsuna, "Look, I know you like Feldt and that she likes you too. I'm not going to stay in a room with my comrade's girl, it's not right."

Setsuna's pupils grew slightly larger in surprise, "You want us to stay together?"

Lyle clenched his jaw before ripping a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. He pulled a stick aggressively out of the box and lit it.

"I don't _want_ you to do anything with her, but I'm thinking about what she wants."

"I…" Setsuna trailed off.

"I know you aren't very good with the ladies Setsuna, but at some point you need to step up to the plate and be a man. This is your chance, but I swear to god if you hurt her I'll beat you to a pulp," Lyle threatened.

"Haven't you already done that once?" Tieria couldn't resist with a small smile.

Lyle gritted his teeth as he blew a cloud of smoke out and Allelujah couldn't help but release a small chuckle. It was true, Lyle had beaten Setsuna until he was bloody after the black haired meister had killed Anew. Setsuna was the reason that Lyle had lost the only person who really understood him. Deep in his gut, the sniper felt angry that the younger meister had someone like Feldt who cared for him so deeply. Setsuna stole the most important person in his life and to Lyle it felt like the younger meister was doing it all over again when it came to Feldt. He had grown fond of pink haired engineer in their short time together and spending time with her was enjoyable. Lyle exhaled deeply and decided that having Feldt in his life as a close friend was better than not having her in it at all.

"Maybe you need some tips or something," Allelujah suddenly said to the black haired meister.

"Tips?" Setsuna asked with a frown.

"It's obvious you have no idea what you're doing when it comes to women," Tieria added.

"Oh, and you do?" Lyle laughed with a sinister grin.

Tieria took an aggressive step toward the sniper and opened his mouth to shout before Allelujah grabbed the back of his jacket roughly.

"_Not now_."

Tieria let out a small snarl and shooed Allelujah with a discontent scowl.

"You two will kill each other if you stay in the same room for one night," Allelujah shook his head with worried eyes.

"I can't stay in a room alone with Feldt," Setsuna stated.

The three meisters turned to face their younger comrade with shocked expressions.

"Don't be embarrassed," Lyle said, "So what if you're a bit inexperienced, everyone has to start somewhere."

"Feldt can teach him, right Lockon?" Tieria said with a suggestive glance, "She's learned quite a bit since she came here hasn't she?"

"Tieria!" Allelujah exclaimed, "Knock it off!"

Setsuna sighed, "Why don't we leave it up to her and she can decide."

Lyle shrugged, "Whatever, it doesn't bother me either way because I'm not going to be in the room very much tonight."

…

Feldt glanced nervously back and forth between Lyle and Setsuna as they stood in the hotel lobby. A few minutes ago Lyle had tossed her a room key and told her that she could choose her roommate. She had stared at him in confusion, wondering if she had made him angry and he wanted to get away from her.

"I don't understand…" she muttered as she stared down at the key in her hand.

Lyle let out a heavy sigh, "You're almost as dense as he is."

Feldt stared at Lyle with a lost expression and Tieria released an impatient huff as he couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm not sharing my room with Setsuna again so now you're stuck with him."

Feldt stared at the innovade with wide eyes and turned to face the black haired meister. Setsuna eyed her quietly and the pink haired girl bit the inside of her cheek. It was so indecent of her to be flying through male roommates. She felt guilty about being with Lyle one minute and then the next jumping ship to be with Setsuna. She could tell that Lyle was being distant toward her and she didn't blame him.

"Setsuna, I don't want to make you uncomfortable…" Feldt trailed off.

The black haired meister gave her a small shrug, "It looks like I've been kicked out of my room, but Lockon has to agree to this change."

All eyes went to the sniper who rolled his eyes, "I already told you, I'm not going to be in my room very much tonight, so feel free to do what you want."

"What are you going to be doing?" Feldt asked.

"You need to ask?" Tieria questioned dryly.

Lyle turned away from the pink haired girl's searching gaze and resisted the urge to tear a cigarette out of the carton in his jacket pocket.

"Lyle, are you okay?" Feldt asked him in a quiet voice.

Lyle's head snapped around and he stared at the girl in front of him; his blue eyes softening.

"I'm fine," he told her earnestly.

"You really want to room with Tieria? Did I do something wrong?" she asked him.

Lyle huffed, "No, you didn't do anything Feldt. I want you to do what you want, don't worry about what I think."

"Then I want us to keep our previous arrangement…" Feldt trailed off sheepishly, "You've put up with me this long and this is our last night."

Lyle stared at the girl in shock, "Why?"

"Because we're friends, and I'm comfortable with you," she replied simply.

Lyle swallowed uneasily and glanced at Allelujah who gave him a sympathetic smile.

"This isn't exactly what I was expecting," the sniper mumbled as he snatched the room key from her hand and shoved it in his pocket.

"Choosing the man you like instead of the man you say you love, interesting," Tieria stated with a hint of sarcasm.

Feldt blushed furiously, "It's not like that."

Lyle reached out and gave Feldt a pat on the shoulder, "You won't have to worry about me tonight, I'll be out and about so you can do what you want with who you want."

"You're really going to be out _all_ night?" Feldt asked with a hint of worry in her voice.

Lyle let out a light laugh, "It's not a difficult thing to do, especially here in Dublin, ever heard of the Temple Bar district?"

The others stared at the sniper in silence and he shook his head, "Ah, it doesn't matter, it's not a place that any of you should be wandering around anyway. It can get a bit dangerous if you don't know where you are… lots of pick pocketing goes on down there."

"Is it safe for you to go then?" Feldt asked.

"I can go wherever I want," Lyle gave her a small wink, "If someone tries to rob me I'll knock them into the pavement, don't worry about me."

….

"You didn't have to do that you know," Lyle said lowly as he threw his bag onto one of the beds in the hotel room.

Feldt quietly placed her suitcase at the foot of her bed and said nothing. She watched as Lyle pulled the curtains open and peered outside at the busy street below. He unlocked the window and slid it open and Feldt's eyebrows rose slightly as the sound of noisy traffic hit her ears.

Lyle turned to see Feldt with her brow knitted and he laughed, "Dublin is pretty loud, especially since we're downtown. If you close the window before you go to sleep you should be fine."

"You're really going to be gone the whole night?" Feldt asked him with a frown.

Lyle gave her a crooked smile, "It's my last night in my home country before I have to go back to work and to do my stressful job. I'm going to have all the fun I can until then."

Feldt looked crestfallen and Lyle shook his head.

"Look Feldt, why don't you ask Setsuna to do something with you this evening?"

Feldt's eyes grew large and she swallowed dryly, "I don't know…"

Lyle ran his gloved fingers through his messy brown hair with a sigh. He walked over to his bed and sat down heavily.

"Lyle?" Feldt asked in a hushed tone.

"You're being pretty cruel," Lyle laughed with a tired smile.

Feldt stared at the sniper in confusion and she nervously looked around the room. She had no idea what to say to him. Her eyebrows shot up as Lyle stood quickly.

"Since we're _friends_," Lyle emphasized the last word, "I suppose I can be honest with you."

Feldt nodded silently and waited uncomfortably for him to continue.

"I never really paid attention to you until we came on this trip together. I may have played it cool when you told me that you loved Setsuna but to be blunt, I'm not happy about it. I can't stand here and criticize you for being honest about your feelings but I know that it stung for me to hear that. If he's the one you've chosen then don't hold back because you never know when the last time you're going to be together is. I wish I would have told Anew so many things and spent more time with her. I kept telling myself I had all the time in the world, but that was a big mistake," Lyle explained with a melancholy look in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry," Feldt said quickly as guilt overwhelmed her.

Lyle shrugged, "Don't worry about me. I'm trying to teach you a lesson so you won't make the same mistake that I did."

Feldt squeezed her fists tightly as her short time with Neil crossed her mind. She inhaled sharply and looked up at Lyle who was staring down at her with a sympathetic smile.

"Cheer up, I didn't mean to ruin your evening," Lyle said as he reached out and ruffled her hair.

Feldt relaxed instantly under the older man's touch. She was becoming accustomed to the sniper patting her on the head gently and found it comforting. The engineer let out a sigh before reaching out and giving Lyle a tight hug.

"Thank you," she whispered into his chest and then stepped back.

Lyle pointed to the door, "Now get going and enjoy your last night."

….

Feldt stared at hotel door that was inches from her nose. She reached a trembling hand up slowly and tapped lightly with her knuckles. Her heart was hammering in her chest and her breath caught in her throat as the door opened.

"Feldt?"

The engineer's eyebrows shot up as she stared into Tieria's crimson eyes. She tried to look over the innovade's shoulder but to no avail. He was the shortest of the meisters but was still tall enough to block her view into the room.

"Um," she started quietly as Tieria stared at her with a delicate eyebrow raised.

Tieria was patient and shifted his weight as he waited for the pink haired girl to continue.

"Is Setsuna here?"

Tieria huffed, "You look like you're going to be sick."

Feldt watched as Tieria stepped back into the room and she followed after him hesitantly. She closed the door behind her and looked around the room that was identical to the one she was staying in.

"He's taking a shower, he'll be out soon," Tieria motioned to the closed bathroom door before taking a seat in a chair that was next to a round table.

"Maybe I should come back…" Feldt trailed off as images of Lyle emerging from the steamy bathroom in their previous hotel rolled through her head.

"You're already here, just wait," Tieria rolled his eyes.

Feldt awkwardly stood with her back leaned against the wall. She glanced to Tieria silently as the innovade flipped a page in the book he was reading. She could hear the water in the bathroom running and she shuddered at the thought of seeing Setsuna walk out of the bathroom without anything on. The shower had provided her with both positive and negative experiences so far. She wanted Setsuna to hurry up and come out so she could talk to him and get it over with.

"So are you here to ask him on a date or something?"

Feldt's head shot up and her eyes went to Tieria who didn't look up from his book. He flipped another page and flashed her a quick glance with his crimson eyes before looking back down at the words in front of him.

"Sort of…" the engineer trailed off.

"What are you being so shy for? It didn't seem to be a big deal when you were with Lockon, you were relaxed and confident with him."

Feldt sighed, "That's because I _am_ relaxed and confident when I'm around him."

"Then why are you choosing Setsuna instead?" Tieria questioned as he shut the book loudly with one hand and placed it on the night stand.

Feldt pressed her back against the wall behind her with a frown, "Lyle and I are friends."

"You were more than friends a few days ago."

Feldt swallowed dryly, "We pushed the friendship limit a little bit…"

"You slept with him."

Feldt's eyes widened. Tieria was stating, not asking. The engineer squeezed her fists and felt embarrassed.

"There's no need to be bashful, are you ashamed of it?" Tieria questioned as he folded his hands in his lap.

The innovade knew he was making the pink haired girl very uncomfortable yet he gained a feeling of satisfaction from grilling her. He witnessed what she had done to Lyle's emotional state so he felt it was fair to toy with her a little bit.

"I'm not ashamed," Feldt whispered lowly with a sad expression.

"It amazes me how you can switch from one person to the next in a matter of days," Tieria stated with a scrutinizing expression, "Then again some of the things humans do are impossible for me to understand."

"What are you trying to say?" Feldt questioned, suddenly feeling angry.

"I'm saying you need to make up your mind and choose one person."

"I _have_ picked one person, that's why I'm _here_ and why all this happened," Feldt said shortly.

Tieria shrugged, "Until you've proven your loyalties lie with _one_ person I'm going to remain skeptical."

"Do what you want…" Feldt trailed off as she heard the door to the bathroom open.

Steam immediately floated out and Feldt gulped as she once again started having flashbacks of Lyle emerging from the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his slender waist. She waited until Setsuna walked out with heavily lidded eyes and a sleepy expression from the hot room. The pink haired girl's mind buzzed as it started comparing Setsuna to Lyle. The Krugis meister had a towel around his waist and one thrown over his head. A toothbrush was sticking out of his mouth and the systems engineer couldn't believe how much darker Setsuna's complexion was in comparison to Lyle's. Setsuna's chest was muscular like Lyle's but Feldt could tell that the black haired meister's body wasn't as mature as Lyle's was. He still had some room to grow and add muscle onto his slender frame.

"Feldt?" Setsuna mumbled out with the plastic toothbrush hanging from his mouth.

Feldt's cheeks instantly lit up and she stepped back from the younger meister with an embarrassed expression. Her eyes went from his dark eyes to his toned chest which sent her reeling. Setsuna pulled the towel from his head off and tossed it over his shoulder. He grabbed his toothbrush and scrubbed his teeth slowly as he watched the girl in front of him.

"Are you free this evening?" Feldt squeaked out as she stared at the floor.

Tieria leaned forward in his seat and waited for his roommate to reply.

Setsuna removed the toothbrush from his mouth, "As far as I know."

Feldt inhaled sharply and asked, "Would you like to go to dinner with me?"

Tieria's crimson eyes shot to Setsuna who was rooted to the spot his was standing on. The younger meister's black eyebrows rose in surprise slightly before he regained his composure.

"We can do that."

Feldt sighed in relief and most of the anxiety left her. She finally brought her eyes up to look at Setsuna who was watching her carefully. Feldt suddenly glanced down at the clothes she was wearing and realized they were the same articles she had worn all day. Lyle had shooed her from the room and she had completely forgotten about her appearance.

"I… I need to change," Feldt mumbled with a horrified expression.

"Don't worry about it," Setsuna told her, "You look fine. I'll get dressed and we can leave."

Feldt's jaw dropped slightly. She felt like such a slob. Setsuna was freshly showered and he'd be putting on clean clothes which made her feel sub-par.

"Are you sure?" Feldt asked him uneasily.

"You're fine," Tieria interjected, "It takes forever for women to get ready anyway."

Feldt sighed, the innovade was right but she still felt like she was lacking in appearance. The engineer was in jeans with a light purple sweater on. She reached up to touch her wavy pink hair and frowned as she touched a frizzy section.

"Do you know where you're going?" Tieria asked Feldt after Setsuna returned to the bathroom to change into his clothes.

The color drained from the engineer's face, "Well, no…"

Tieria shook his head, "Flying by the seat of your pants, but from what I can tell it shouldn't be difficult to find a place to go. The streets are lined with places to eat."

A sigh of relief left Feldt again and the bathroom door opened. Setsuna strolled out and adjusted the red scarf around his neck. He glanced up at Feldt and gave her a small smile before turning to Tieria.

"I'll be back later."

"Do what you want," Tieria rolled his eyes, "But if I'm asleep, don't wake me up or I'll shoot you."

Feldt's eyes grew wide as the innovade reached into his suitcase that was on the floor at his feet and pulled out his gun. Setsuna gave the violet haired meister a hard glare before turning to Feldt.

"Are you ready?"

**A/N: Daaa dummmm! Okay, as I said at the beginning of the chapter I'm splitting Day 6 into two separate parts. Reasons for that: School is a thorn in my side that doesn't allow me to update like I used to, I haven't updated in a while, and I really want to put this out there for my faithful followers and reviewers! **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Gundam00-nut I can honestly say I look forward to your reviews every time I post a chapter! Thanks! **

**Narutofan2191- thanks for your reviews as well! **

**Second part of Day 6!**

**Let me tell you, the Irish must like their Chinese takeout because they have A LOT of little take out joints in all their cities. I thought it was kind of funny. They have the whole gambit, Mexican, Italian, you name it, but the Chinese places were EVERYWHERE in the cities I visited! Haha!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam00 or any of its characters.**

"Lockon, where are you headed?"Allelujah called out down the hallway to his fellow meister.

Lyle paused and glanced over his shoulder. He had just left his room and was going to get his night started. Allelujah approached the sniper and stopped when Lyle turned to face him.

"You're leaving already?"

Lyle narrowed his eyes and scrutinized the super soldier's face, "What are you getting at?"

Allelujah let out a sigh, "Well, Marie said she wanted to relax this evening and apparently that involves me getting out of her hair…"

Lyle let out a laugh, "So she kicked you out?"

Allelujah looked crestfallen, "I wouldn't say that, but she told me to see what my _friends _were doing."

Lyle cleared his throat and Allelujah's eyes widened and he turned around quickly to see Marie standing right behind him.

"I'm not trying to get rid of you," she clarified, grabbing his arm with a soft smile, "I wanted to do my own thing since it's our last evening here."

Allelujah gave her a small nod and looked at the gym bag slung over her shoulder. She gave him a smile with loving eyes and patted his shoulder.

"I'm going to work out and maybe go to the pool," she said.

"Enjoy, they've got a nice set up here," Lyle gave her a grin and grabbed Allelujah strongly by the arm, "I'll keep him occupied for the evening."

Marie nodded with a smile and leaned up; placing a kiss on Allelujah's cheek, "I'll see you tonight, okay?"

Allelujah's face softened, "Yeah, I'll see you then."

The two meisters watched as Marie walked down the hall and turned a corner. Lyle glanced over at Allelujah who had a lingering smile on his face.

"Let's go then," Lyle gave him a nod and started walking forward.

"Wait," Allelujah paused and pointed at one of the doors, "Shouldn't we see if Tieria wants to come?"

Lyle chuckled, "You think that stiff will want to tag along? Fine, you can ask him, but don't get your hopes up."

Allelujah turned and knocked on the door. He waited and the door opened momentarily with a click. Tieria looked at Allelujah and narrowed his eyes when he saw Lyle standing at a distance in the hallway.

"What is it?"

Allelujah nodded at Lyle, "Lockon and I are going out and we wanted to know if you wanted to come."

Tieria let out a sigh and glanced over his shoulder back into the room.

"Leave him alone, he doesn't have to come," Lyle tossed his head with a huff as he grew impatient.

"_No_…" Tieria trailed off, "I'll come."

Both Lyle and Allelujah's eyes grew wide with surprise. Tieria couldn't help but smirk at their reactions. Since when did they think they could predict his actions?

"You know we're going out to drink, don't you?" Lyle asked slowly.

"Of course I do," Tieria shrugged as he stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind him.

"Isn't Setsuna in there?" Allelujah suddenly asked.

Tieria shook his head, "No, Feldt came a while ago and asked him to go to dinner with her."

Allelujah gaped, "Really? Setsuna actually agreed to do that?"

Tieria nodded, "He did."

Lyle gritted his teeth impatiently, "Enough chit chat, I want to get going because time is ticking."

"Aren't we going to eat first?" Allelujah asked.

Lyle sighed and his face fell. It was as though every second that went by more and more things were coming between him and a bar. He hadn't even thought about food but deep down he knew it was necessary because drinking on an empty stomach was a bad idea that would leave him in bed puking into a bucket.

"Fine, we'll find a place on the way," Lyle stated dryly as he started walking briskly down the hallway.

"I'm surprised you're coming," Allelujah remarked as they trailed after the sniper.

"That idiot up there needs someone to watch him," Tieria bluntly said.

Allelujah laughed, "Yeah, he seems pretty intent on hitting the bars tonight, but I can't blame him after what he's been through."

Tieria rolled his eyes, "He lets his emotions rule his life, it's ridiculous… Sometimes I don't understand why humans act the way they do."

Allelujah shrugged, "It's _because_ we're human, we aren't perfect."

Tieria sighed, it was true that he seemed to relate more with humans than he did innovators, but sometimes humans were such an enigma.

"Where's Marie?" Tieria asked as they walked through the hotel lobby and out the front door.

"She's enjoying her evening," Allelujah replied.

"Did she get sick of you?"

Allelujah's eyebrows shot up, "No, she just wanted to do her own thing, it's not a big deal. I think I'm needed more here anyway. Didn't Lockon say something about the area we're going to being dangerous?"

Tieria nodded, "He did."

"It's good we're coming along then. Even though he said he'd be fine there's always a possibility he could get into trouble, especially if he's drunk," Allelujah told the innovade.

"You're right, but that still doesn't make the idea of babysitting a grown man any more appealing," Tieria growled.

….

Feldt rubbed her palms together nervously as she walked down the sidewalk next to Setsuna. She couldn't believe they were finally alone and were going out. This was definitely a date, no doubt about it... she'd waited so long for this moment. She blinked and looked up at Setsuna who was staring ahead with his chestnut eyes. Did he _really_ have any type of romantic feelings for her? The black haired meister had basically told her he didn't know what it was like to love someone else.

"Feldt?"

The pink haired girl's head shot up to look at Setsuna who was eyeing her skeptically.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" Feldt answered quickly with a sheepish smile, "I was thinking, that's all."

Setsuna's face softened, "Where did you want to eat?"

Feldt pursed her lips and glanced around the busy street at the variety of restaurants. The street lights were beginning to come on as the sun hovered lowly over the horizon.

"How about there?" Feldt pointed across the cobblestone street to a small Italian restaurant.

Setsuna looked down at the girl next to him and saw that her green eyes appeared to be glittering in the evening light. Her innocence and kind nature had always brought a strange calm over him. He inhaled deeply and a small smile made its way across his lips. The Krugis meister reached up and gently put his gloved hand between her shoulder blades; giving her a small push. Feldt eyes widened and she looked to the man next to her.

"Let's go then," he said softly.

…..

"What's with all the takeout places?" Allelujah mumbled as he glanced around.

Allelujah and Tieria were now ahead of Lyle who had told them to choose where they wanted to eat. He followed at a bit of a distance and seemed to glance longingly at each pub he passed.

"What about this place?" Tieria nodded at an upcoming building.

"We're in Ireland and you want spaghetti?" Allelujah laughed lightly.

The two meisters paused and glanced in the front window where they could see that the restaurant was dimly lit on the inside. The tables were neatly set and there were lit candles in the center of them. Allelujah and Tieria both inhaled sharply at the same time and looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Is this where we're going? It's about time you two made up your minds," Lyle said as he caught up with them.

Allelujah jerked his head in Lyle's direction as the older meister closed in. The super soldier gave Tieria a shove and the innovade let out a growl.

"No! We're going… over there," Allelujah pointed in no particular direction and Tieria shook his head in disappointment.

Lyle's face fell as he looked past Allelujah's hand.

"You want to go to a strip club?"

Allelujah spun around and his jaw dropped slightly as he realized he was pointing to a building with blinking neon signs.

"You moron," Tieria muttered under his breath.

Lyle shrugged, "Whatever floats your boat man…"

Allelujah cringed, there was no way… Marie would kill him.

…

"This is a really nice place," Feldt marveled as she looked around the fancy restaurant, "Too bad I feel so underdressed."

Setsuna shook his head, "You're fine."

The pair got their drinks and ordered their dinner. As they waited Feldt traced the lip of her wine glass. She stared at the pink liquid inside and looked over at Setsuna with a smile.

"Thanks for coming with me," she told him.

Setsuna leaned back in his chair, "I wanted to come."

Feldt's heart began hammering in her chest and she wondered if she should be bolder. Should she ask him about their previous conversation? She had already told him how she felt but he had yet to reveal much about his own feelings. The engineer didn't want to pry because she knew that Setsuna had a crippled heart which made it difficult to express himself. Feldt sighed in frustration and looked over at the window where she could see people walking by out on the sidewalk. She reached for her wine and was sipping it when her eyes once again went to the window. Her eyebrows shot up and she set down her glass quickly with a look of surprise. Setsuna watched her with a curious expression and the pink haired girl wordlessly pointed her finger. Setsuna turned in his seat to see what she was looking at.

"What are they doing here?" the black haired meister questioned.

"Allelujah and Tieria? I wonder where Marie is…" Feldt trailed off.

Setsuna's dark eyebrows rose as his eyes met with Allelujah and Tieria's for a fraction of a second.

"They see us!" Feldt said and waved with a smile.

The pink haired girl's face fell as Allelujah's face filled with panic and Tieria looked irritated. Her eyes widened when Lyle appeared out of nowhere and started talking to them.

"Don't worry about them," Setsuna shrugged as he turned back around in his seat, "They must have decided to go with Lockon this evening."

"I can't believe Tieria is with them," Feldt couldn't help but laugh.

Setsuna looked puzzled, "Neither can I… I thought he would stay at the hotel this evening."

"The others probably thought the same thing about you," Feldt told him.

Setsuna drank from his glass of water and placed it down with a sigh. He watched as Feldt picked up her wine glass with rosy cheeks.

"Let's quit dancing around the issue," Setsuna suddenly said, "We both know what we need to talk about."

Feldt gulped, she had been waiting for this to happen but still felt the need to avoid the topic.

"Do you have anything you want to say?" the black haired meister asked her.

Feldt shook her head, "Setsuna I've told you how I feel…"

The Krugis man listened to her sentence trail off, "But you want to know what I'm thinking, right?"

Feldt nodded slowly, "I do."

…..

"Thank you," Allelujah whispered lowly to Tieria as they sat in a small seafood restaurant.

Tieria rolled his eyes as he remembered the scene he had made a while ago in the street. He got Allelujah off the hook by throwing a royal fit about going into a dirty strip club. It was true he didn't have any interest in watching half naked girls dance around, but he still would have enjoyed seeing Allelujah squirm.

"I didn't know you felt so strongly about gentlemen's clubs," Lyle chuckled as he took a swig of the beer he ordered with his meal.

"There's a lot you don't know about me," Tieria spat back, sending Allelujah a glare.

"You like women… right? Because the way you reacted has me asking some serious questions," Lyle spoke with a suggestive glance.

Tieria gritted his teeth, "I don't like _men_ Lockon," he growled venomously.

Lyle held his hands up innocently, "Hey, I had to ask."

…..

Setsuna swallowed uneasily, "I've told you I'm not good talking about my feelings. I don't know what it's like to love someone so I can't tell you how I feel."

Feldt nodded slowly, "I understand and as I said before, I can teach you."

"You feel that strongly about me?" Setsuna asked seriously.

"I do… I've known for a while now, but you've had much bigger things to worry about and accomplish."

"I never noticed… how you felt" Setsuna said honestly.

"It's not your fault, your position as a Gundam meister takes priority and I understand that," Feldt told him quietly.

"That's not fair to you, we've talked about this before. Why are you suddenly okay with coming second to my position as double O's pilot?"

Feldt sighed, "It's true I was upset when you said it before… but the more I thought about it the more I realized how important you are to Celestial Being. It would be selfish of me to tell you to place a relationship before the fate of the world."

"Feldt…" Setsuna trailed off as their dinners arrived.

The pair ate in silence and thought about what the other had said.

"Is it possible for this to even work?" Feldt suddenly asked, "I need to know."

Setsuna sighed, "I doubt it will be easy."

Feldt's face fell and she stared down at her empty wine glass, suddenly wishing it was full once again. She knew that the weight of the world rested on Setsuna's shoulders. It would be silly to ask him to throw a relationship in the mix.

"I doubt it will be easy," Setsuna stated again, "But I'd like to give it a shot."

Feldt's eyes grew wide and she stared at the man across from her with a look of surprise.

"Allelujah finds a way to make it work, and Lyle did as well before Anew…" Setsuna trailed off as he remembered killing his fellow meister's lover.

Feldt's lips parted and she found herself speechless. Setsuna was truly a wonder. He had never been loved or loved anyone and here he was willing to put himself in a vulnerable position. Feldt couldn't help as admiration for the man in front of her welled in her chest… he was very special.

…

"Finally!" Lyle exclaimed as he slammed an empty glass on a wooden bar top.

The trio had finished their dinner and traveled to the Temple bar district. Allelujah and Tieria noticed immediately that the area they were in was quite shady. Lyle didn't appear to be fazed by the situation but the other two meisters remained alert.

"Keep an eye on him," Tieria muttered to Allelujah, "I'll be right back."

The super soldier nodded as Tieria disappeared into the crowd that was crammed into the bar. He turned back to Lyle and watched as the sniper ordered another drink. He had already downed several and his cheeks were flushed. Time went by and Allelujah glanced around warily, wondering where Tieria went.

"Maybe he's the one I should have kept my eye on…" Allelujah muttered as he sipped on his own drink.

"You're back!" Lyle grinned at the approaching innovade after a few more minutes passed.

Tieria's crimson eyes appeared to be blazing and the innovade squeezed his fists.

"What's eating you?" Lyle asked.

"Some ass back there thought I was a woman," Tieria growled, "He tried to come on to me so I taught him a lesson."

Lyle howled in laughter and Allelujah couldn't help but snicker as well.

"It's _not_ funny," Tieria snapped.

"You did cross dress as a woman that one time," Allelujah brought up.

"You're actually a very attractive woman," Lyle shrugged.

"_Enough_!" Tieria hissed.

…

"That was a great dinner, thank you," Feldt told Setsuna as they made their way back to the hotel.

The sun had long set and the street lamps lit their way back to where they were staying. It was cold and Feldt shuddered as a chill ran up her spine. Setsuna glanced down at her with a frown and hesitantly wrapped his arm around the engineer's shoulders. He wordlessly pulled her close to his side. A warm fuzzy feeling welled in Feldt's chest and she couldn't help but smile.

"Are you cold?" he asked her in a low voice.

Feldt leaned into the man next to her and inhaled his masculine scent. He still smelled fresh from his earlier shower and Feldt closed her eyes.

"I'm fine now," she told him as she reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist as they continued moving.

Surprise flashed over the meister's features but he quickly regained his composure. The pair arrived at the hotel and entered the front door. Feldt sighed in relief as she stepped out of the cool night air. She unwrapped her arms from Setsuna's waist and the black haired meister immediately took his arm from her shoulders; stepping away. As he tried to increase the distance between them, Feldt reached out and grabbed his sleeve. Setsuna stared down at the girl next to him with questioning chestnut eyes. She confidently laced her fingers in his and started toward the stairs.

Feldt led Setsuna down the hall and paused at her own room which came before his. She turned to the black haired meister and stared up at him with searching green eyes. Setsuna looked uncomfortable and Feldt couldn't help but smile. He was the complete opposite of Lyle who was carefree and confident. When she was with Lyle she felt like such a novice that knew nothing. It was true that the sniper had taught her a lot about the art of romance and love making in the past few days, but she didn't think she was quite ready to become the teacher in her relationship with Setsuna. Feldt let out an uneasy sigh, she had a bit more experience than he did, but there was still so much to learn. The engineer quickly made up her mind that instead of teaching Setsuna, she would learn together with him.

"I had a really nice evening," Feldt told him.

Setsuna nodded, "I'm glad."

Feldt pulled out her room key, "Back to work starting tomorrow I guess."

"It is," Setsuna confirmed.

"I hope that we continue to get closer," she spoke quietly.

Setsuna reached out and grabbed her wrist, staring at her with piercing eyes, "We will."

Feldt's mouth dropped in shock and she leaned into the black haired meister without thinking. She reached up and grabbed the sides of his face and pressed her lips to his. Setsuna didn't pull back and remained still as she tasted his lower lip. The systems engineer ran her fingers through his wild black hair and marveled at its coarseness. Lyle's hair was incredibly soft and smooth and Setsuna's was the opposite. She liked the rugged feel of it and pulled on it instinctively. Setsuna let out a grunt of surprise and couldn't help but lean back to stare down at her in surprise.

"I'm sorry," Feldt immediately said, her blush growing as she felt embarrassed.

"It's fine," Setsuna said, a small smile finding its way across his lips, "I never knew you could be aggressive like that. You're such a soft spoken girl."

Feldt swallowed dryly and didn't know what to say. Setsuna gave her a pat on the shoulder and a small nod as he stepped back.

"It looks like I still have a lot to learn about you, Feldt Grace," the black haired meister said in a lower voice.

Feldt stared after Setsuna with wide eyes until he disappeared into his room. She stared at her own door and touched her lips.

"Setsuna…"

…..

"How long are we going to stay here?" Allelujah asked Tieria.

The innovade glanced over a clock hanging on the wall in the dim light. He squinted his crimson eyes and pushed his glasses up his nose with a huff.

"He would stay here all night if he could."

Allelujah nodded, "I know, and that's why we're here."

"We'll give him till midnight," Tieria stated.

"Two more hours?" Allelujah moaned.

"Why not? He's having a good time," Tieria shrugged.

Allelujah sighed, "I guess he's been through a lot lately… he deserves to cut loose, but he's going to be sick tomorrow if he keeps this up."

"He can do what he wants, who are we to tell him he can't drink himself into a coma? The only reason we're here is to make sure he makes it back to his room safely."

Allelujah nodded, "You're right."

Lyle turned in his seat, "You guys realize that I can still hear don't you? I'm not some mindless drunk, I can handle myself. I don't need you two watching me. You make me out to be some sap who is drinking his sorrows away. I'd be doing this even if my life was perfect," he winked at the two meisters with his last statement.

"An Irishman until the end I suppose," Tieria mumbled as Lyle motioned for the bartender to make him another drink.

**A/N: Alright, the second part of day 6 is complete! Obviously I feel like Setsuna and Feldt would move much slower than Lyle and Feldt. Lyle is an experienced guy so it's natural he'd be quicker when it came to physical stuff. Setsuna is clueless when it comes to girls, let's be honest, so he's going to be slow on the uptake. I also didn't want Feldt sleeping with Lyle one day and then two days later jumping into the sack with Setsuna, that's not realistic! Thank you readers and reviewers!**


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